All the talk around Arsenal this month has been about signing a new striker.
During this win in Girona, though, it was at the other end of the pitch where the headlines were produced.
Mikel Arteta’s side got the win they came for, securing a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League, however that was not without plenty of alarm bells ringing at the back.
Goalkeeper Neto, handed his Arsenal debut in the absence of the injured David Raya, was most culpable and he looked shaky from the outset.
Raya, who travelled with the squad to Spain on Tuesday but was then left out entirely, was described as being “not fit” by Arteta in his pre-match interviews. The Arsenal manager will desperately hoping that isn’t the case come Sunday, when the Gunners host Manchester City.
Neto, who joined Arsenal on loan from Bournemouth on summer deadline day, looked nervous from the off and clearly some rust has built up since he signed.
He was caught in possession outside his box inside the opening two minutes, but his defenders were able to recover. The Brazilian was not so fortunate before the half-hour mark, which is when Girona took the lead.
A simple ball put Arnaut Danjuma through and questions will be asked of Thomas Partey, who allowed the winger to run off him.
Neto, however, was mainly at fault. The goalkeeper was stranded in no man’s land way outside his area and he was lucky not to be sent off, diving for the ball as Danjuma’s curled effort went past him.
Arsenal looked shaky after that and Danjuma could have had a second, but Jorginho made a great block when the winger was found in space inside the Arsenal penalty area.
Neto largely had Ethan Nwaneri to thank for sparing his blushes and ensuring this nervy debut won’t live too long in the memory.
Jorginho put Arsenal on level terms 10 minutes after Danjuma’s opener, slotting a penalty following a foul on Partey.
Minutes later, the Gunners were back in front and it was courtesy of a brilliant goal from Nwaneri. Picking the ball up on the right-hand side of the penalty area, the teenager cut inside and found the net with a beautifully curled finish.
It was yet another reminder of the 17-year-old’s undeniable talent. Arsenal have missed him this month, with a muscle issue forcing him to be absent for four games.
That came just after Nwaneri had scored his fifth goal of the season and delivered two impressive performances out on the right flank.
Back on the right again, the teenager picked up where he left off and took his tally for the season to six. Only Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz have scored more for Arsenal during the current campaign.
Nwaneri was Arsenal’s best player here, and even during a quiet second half it was the youngster who caught the eye.
He went off with a few minutes to go and was given a standing ovation by the 500 or so away fans that made the trip to Girona.
It was in stark contrast to the difficult ending that Raheem Sterling had. Arsenal won another penalty late on after a handball in the box and Sterling was given the ball by captain Martin Odegaard. The winger’s effort was saved, though, as his tough time on loan at Arsenal continues.
