Arsenal's first home game of pre-season ended in disappointment after Lyon came from behind to take the Emirates Cup thanks to two goals from substitute Moussa Dembele in a 1-2 win, a result which no one would have predicted at half-time.
The Gunners absolutely dominated the first half on home soil, but the vistors had the first sniff of danger when Depay's corner was punched away by Leno and then Mendes hit over the bar. After that, Arsenal, who were without Ozil and Kolasinac, took control.
Lacazette fired wide for Arsenal in the seventh minute after Guendouzi made a good run before Lacazette played a one-two with Mkhitaryan. 19 year-old Joe Willock had a very good game and he saw his shot saved in the 14th minute, just two minutes after Lacazette had to go off injured. Willock then played a one-two with Guendouzi five minutes later before Arsenal should have really taken the lead.
Maitland-Niles sent in a cross and Mkhitaryan connected with his volley, but Anthony Lopes made a sensational stop before Willock fired over the rebound. Arsenal were knocking at the door and Lyon's only real threat was Memphis Depay. He made a couple of good runs and attempts at creating something, but nothing came of them. Lopes was tested by Mkhitaryan from distance just after the half-hour before Lyon's resistance was broken after 35 minutes.
Mkhitaryan fired in a cross at unbelievable speed after playing a one-two with Maitland-Niles and Aubameyang directed it into the far corner with what looked like his chest. That goal seemed to spark Lyon into action as they had a penalty shout for handball turned down three minutes before Depay blazed over the bar after Nelson played a sloppy lateral ball in his own half. Lucas then had a chance to level just before the break, but his shot across goal went just wide of Leno's right hand post. After the break and a few substitutions, the French side upped their game significantly.
In the 50th minute, after one of Eddie Nketiah's bright moves, Moussa Dembele made a lovely run down the middle before finding Depay who forced Leno into making a brilliant save. Aouar saw his goalbound shot deflected by Depay which forced Leno into a super save and Arsenal were unable to cope with the Lyon pressure, but then Arsenal picked up again.
Nketiah had a chance eleven minutes after the interval when Willock beat Marcal to put a good ball in and Aubameyang had a pop a from distance before Reiss Nelson, who had a brilliant game, shot just wide. Nketiah then turned inside the Lyon box despite having his back to goal and being surrounded by two defenders, but his effort at Racioppi was weak. In the 66th minute though, disaster struck.
Memphis Depay once again worked his magic down the far side to beat Maitland-Niles and Dembele headed home from inside the box. Lyon then had the upper hand once again, but 17 minutes from time, Arsenal thought they had scored.
Arsenal saw a first shot saved before the Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli tapped in. Despite plenty of celebration, Jon Moss' assistant had ruled it out for offside and Lyon went up the other end and scored. Dembele was played a pinpoint pass by Aouar and he kept his composure to beat Leno in the Arsenal net.
Aubameyang then had two chances in the final ten minutes, but he could not score. He hit a free-kick wide and then hit the post with a lob after he got on the end of a long pass before the GK could.
Despite a draw and the subsequent penalty shootout being a fair result, Lyon were rewarded for their clinical finishing and Arsenal lost their first game of pre-season if you exclude penalties. For Lyon, it was their first win of pre-season in what was an exciting match less than two weeks before the teams begin their domestic campaigns.