Viking FK vs. Arsenal: Score, Reaction from 2016 Pre-Season Friendly

Arsenal cruised to their easiest win of the 2016-17 pre-season so far on Friday, beating Norwegian side Viking FK 8-0 at the Viking Stadion in Jattavagen, Norway.

The Gunners dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead through Joel Campbell after 33 minutes. Santi Cazorla missed a penalty early, but he made up for the miss after the break, doubling the team's lead.

Theo Walcott made it 3-0 shortly after, opening the floodgates. An own goal and another strike from Campbell made it 5-0 before the hour mark, and Alex Iwobi also got his name on the scoresheet with a brace. Chuba Akpom scored the last goal of the match shortly before the final whistle. 

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger opted against using stars such as Granit Xhaka and once again played Krystian Bielik in the heart of defence:

The match started with a bang, as Arsenal earned a penalty just minutes into the contest. Mathieu Debuchy powered his way into the box with a great run, and Samuel Adegbenro pulled him down.

Cazorla took the spot kick but fired the ball far too close to goalkeeper Iven Austbo, who punched it away from danger. Blogger Daily Cannon couldn't help himself:

The Gunners kept pushing for an early goal, and Cazorla nearly picked out Bielik with a smart corner. The Spaniard then had a hard shot blocked after a cross from Kieran Gibbs fell to him.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

Viking didn't show many attacking intentions, as the hosts didn't want to take any chances, with a league match scheduled for the weekend. Karol Mets went close after 15 minutes, firing a header just over David Ospina's goal.

Ospina didn't make a strong impression early, badly missing a corner that fell to a Viking player, but fortunately for the Gunners, it didn't lead to a goal. On the other side of the pitch, Austbo had to make a great stop to deny an unmarked Mohamed Elneny.

Arsenal's official Twitter account was impressed:

The stopper again intervened minutes later, diverting a cross before it could reach Campbell, and the Costa Rican had another chance after a great cross from Cazorla but couldn't put Austbo to work.

Arsenal remained the better team, and their efforts were finally rewarded after 33 minutes. Yet another corner saw Elneny square the ball in front of goal, and Campbell got the final touch to put the first goal on the board.

ESPN FC's Mattias Karen was impressed with the Egyptian:

Viking almost hit back immediately, as standout Adegbenro went on a surging run to earn a free-kick. The eventual strike came to nothing, however. Abdisalam Ibrahim also tried his luck, but his shot was blocked and fell harmlessly to Ospina.

Walcott couldn't beat the goalkeeper after a lovely pass over the top from Cazorla, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain nearly found some space with a nice cut for the final chance of the half.

At half-time, Arsenal fans had some fun with the odd pre-match gift Wenger was given. The Arsenal Forum joined in:

"

He will never get that through customs pic.twitter.com/RTiu9nLVI1

— The Arsenal Forum (@ccooperuk) August 5, 2016"

The Gunners continued their push after the break, with Cazorla going within inches of doubling the lead. Just a few minutes later, he finally got his deserved goal, slotting home with a superb strike from a long way out.

Arsenal now switched gears, and three minutes later, another goal followed. This time, it was Walcott who took control of the ball inside the box and smashed a hard shot past Austbo. Arsenal French Club couldn't help themselves:

Viking FK imploded completely, and a deflected shot from Campbell made it 4-0, amid some confusion whether the goal would go to the Costa Rican or Kristoffer Haugen. It hardly mattered, as Campbell got his second of the match soon after, easily beating the goalkeeper after a back-heel pass from Iwobi.

Arsenal's Twitter account loved what it was seeing:

Walcott should have added a sixth, but a great reflex save from Austbo denied the England international from close range. He went close again moments later, as his great long-range strike just cleared the bar.

Iwobi added a sixth goal with 19 minutes still to play, rounding off a counter after a poor defensive effort, and he doubled his tally with a beautiful curling strike, thanks to an assist from Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

Akpom came close to an eighth goal, firing a shot straight at Austbo, but he had more luck in the final minute of regulation, adding his name to the scoresheet.

Arsenal will play one more friendly against Manchester City before kicking off their Premier League campaign against Liverpool.

Post-Match Reaction

Per the club's official Twitter account, Wenger talked about what his team tried to do and whether or not some of Arsenal's top stars would be fit in time for the start of the Premier League season:

It's hard to read too much into this result, as Viking FK were clearly overmatched by a hungry Arsenal squad. The Gunners' efficiency in front of goal is encouraging, but City and Liverpool will provide a far stiffer challenge in the coming weeks.