Arsenal vs Lyon Predictions

Despite eventually losing to Real Madrid on penalties, Arsenal’s brief tour of the US was a productive one. Unai Emery’s men have steadily built momentum over the last few weeks by beating Colorado Rapids, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, while their draw against Real was credible. After a pleasing string of efforts on the road, the Gunners will fancy themselves to take another step in the right direction now back on home soil.

There was plenty to like about the way Arsenal went about their business at the International Champions Cup, especially from an attacking point of view. Despite playing some top sides, Emery’s men looked both creative and destructive, as they notched eight goals in three games, scoring at least twice against Bayern, Fiorentina and Real Madrid. At times against both Bayern and Real, they did look predictably shaky at the back, though any defensive deficiencies were counteracted by pleasing attacking play, so we cannot be too critical of Arsenal’s pre-season efforts.

While Arsenal have done well during what could easily have been a difficult pre-season period, Lyon have faltered somewhat. Since the end of the Ligue 1 season, they’ve played twice and lost twice.

Last season wasn’t the ideal campaign for Lyon, who’ve acted over the summer by appointing ex-Barcelona player Sylvinho as their new manager. It’s early days of course, while it’s only really competitive performances that the former left-back’s team will be judged on, but the managerial change hasn’t exactly sparked Lyon into life in pre-season. Sunday’s visitors first lost to Servette, who’ve only just won promotion to the top tier in Switzerland, while they also came unstuck against Italian outfit Genoa last time out.

Getting the ball in the net hasn’t been a problem for Lyon so far, as they’ve scored four goals in two pre-season matches, but they’ve found it very tough to keep teams at bay. They conceded twice against Servette, while they shipped no less than four against Genoa last time out. Such efforts don’t bode well ahead of a game against an Arsenal side that has thrived offensively over the last few weeks.

In the betting, ‘Arsenal to Win & Over 2.5 Goals’ stands out as a viable option. First off, there’s been no shortage of goals for either of this pair in pre-season, as three or more match goals have been notched in 100% of their friendlies.

Having played twice as many pre-season games than Lyon, the Gunners are further down the road in terms of preparation, while their recent efforts have simply been far better than Lyon’s. Lyon may be able to compete offensively, as they’ve notched four in two during pre-season, but recent efforts tells us that they lack the defensive solidity to cope with Arsenal’s thriving forward-line.

After notching multiple goals against the likes of Bayern and Real, Emery’s men can continue to move in the right direction by recording a convincing win against a Lyon side that has struggled defensively, even against lesser opposition.