The England midfielder, who missed Euro 2016 through injury, played 70 minutes in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara, scoring the second for Wenger’s side with a wonderful individual goal.
Advertisement
Arsenal face Club Deportivo Guadalajara in a club friendly fixture at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California on Sunday trading as bet365’s favourites to step-up their preparations for the start of the new Premier League campaign with a victory.
The defender tapped home the opener after 34 minutes before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chuba Akpom added second-half goals to ensure the Gunners ended their United States tour with a victory.
A penalty from Angel Zaldivar reduced the deficit for the Mexicans with 16 minutes remaining as Arsenal lost their way in a fiery end to proceedings.
Chivas nearly found themselves a goal to the good just past the hour-mark after Daniel Gonzalez’s struck an effort just wide of the post.
However, Holding, who has only been an Arsenal player for nine days, managed to upstage the Switzerland global as the defender powered home the opener at the end of the first half. Holding tapped into an empty net from in close after Calum Chambers redirected the long kick with his left foot to the unguarded Holding.
England Under-21 global Akpom, whose late goal gave Arsenal a 2-1 victory over the MLS All-Stars i n San Jose on Thursday, made it 3-0 six minutes later.
Advertisement
Arsenal’s third goal was much more simple as Akpom scored with a first-time finish under little pressure on the edge of the six-yard box after substitute Mathieu Debuchy was given time to pull the ball back into his path.
