Arsenal Beat Angers on Penalties Following 1-1 Draw in Pre-Season Friendly

Arsenal beat Angers 4-3 on penalties after they came from behind to draw 1-1 at the Stade Raymond-Kopa on Wednesday.

Angers took a surprise lead at their home stadium and went ahead through Farid El Melali, who took the ball around Emiliano Martinez before finishing past the Arsenal stopper with aplomb.

Reiss Nelson supplied the equaliser for Arsenal not long after half-time and netted his first pre-season goal from close range to spare the Gunners' blushes.

Former Arsenal midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide saw his decisive effort saved during the shootout to decide the fixture.

Arsenal lost 2-1 to Lyon in their previous outing, and the early signs suggested another disappointment could be on the cards for Unai Emery's men.

Baptiste Santamaria fed a superb ball through Arsenal's back line, sliding a pass through to the sprinting El Melali with only Martinez between him and the goal.

The Algerian showed a smart touch to take the ball past Arsenal's stopper and poke into an open goal after 13 minutes, via beIN Sports (U.S. only):

The north Londoners looked to use their winger in the bid to get level, but the team that finished 13th in Ligue 1 last term proved difficult to break down.

Nelson has looked like one of Arsenal's more impressive players during his pre-season after he spent a spell on loan at Hoffenheim last term.

Former Arsenal midfielder Reine-Adelaide lined up against his old club and encountered some familiar faces, now enjoying regular football in France.

Emery fielded a youthful lineup, but not all thrived on the opportunity, as Tyreece John-Jules looked out of his depth at times:

Whatever the Arsenal manager said to his players at the break appeared to work—at least temporarily—as their increased pressure in front of goal got the reward they sought.

Nelson was well-placed to convert the rebound from a close distance, showing his reactions needed little work (U.S. only):

Both teams struggled to build from there, though, and the clear-cut opportunities dried up for both teams.

Emery in particular made wholesale changes for the second half in a bid to freshen up his side, but Arsenal looked all too pedestrian at times, even for a pre-season game.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have scored the winner after he combined with fellow substitute Granit Xhaka before blazing over the bar with a few minutes remaining.

Martinez came to Arsenal's rescue during the shootout and saved from former colleague Reine-Adelaide to decide the victor in cruel circumstances: 

What's Next?

Arsenal travel to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday, while Angers will focus all their attention on the Ligue 1 season opener against Bordeaux on Saturday, August 10.