Arsenal 2-1 Paris St Germain
Arsene Wenger's current Arsenal side are very much still a work in progress but there were a few glimpses against Paris St Germain on Saturday afternoon that life without Thierry Henry may not just be so bad.
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Nicklas Bendtner shoots at goal against PSG
The Emirates Cup - which opened with a 2-1 win for the hosts - at least gives the Gunners boss further chance to tinker as he fine tunes preparations for the battles ahead over the coming nine months.
Goals from Mathieu Flamini and Niklas Bendtner were enough for the Gunners before Peguy Luyindula pulled a goal back.
Arsenal were outplayed for large spells at times during the first half, before snatching the lead in stoppage time through Flamini.
However, this was a team missing summer signing Eduardo da Silva, the Brazilian-born Croatian international awaiting the outcome of next week's appeal to the Home Office for a work permit.
• Wenger still wants new recruits
Neither Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky nor Theo Walcott featured against the French side - all of whom are set to play an integral part next season and should return for the Amsterdam Tournament in a week's time.
Gilberto, meanwhile, has been given extra time off after Brazil's Copa America triumph this summer and is another of Wenger's key men ready to step back into the breach.
Of those who did turn out this afternoon, Bendtner, the young Danish striker, certainly caught the eye.
A season on loan at Birmingham in the Championship was certainly time well spent.
Bendtner, 19, showed he has plenty of hunger, strength and enough raw talent to be more than just a bit-part player next season, his chest down setting up the opening goal before he doubled Arsenal's lead from close range with 20 minutes left.
However, the 19-year-old knows he must do better when presented with one-on-one chances like he was during the second half - and certainly from the penalty spot after a weak kick was easily saved late on.
Full-back Bacary Sagna, meanwhile, produced a solid display for a home debut even if he was somewhat reluctant to get forward as much as his half-time replacement Emmanuel Eboue.
Cesc Fabregas - whose name seems to have replaced Henry's on the back of the majority of the Arsenal shirts in the stands - was, however, somewhat subdued during his brief first half appearance.
By the time the visit of Fulham comes around for the Barclays Premier League opener on August 12, though, Wenger knows all of his men must be at their very best if they are to reach the only 'acceptable' target of again mounting a sustained title challenge over the entire campaign.
Despite the absence of Eduardo - who has a hearing on August 2 at which Wenger is 'optimistic' they will be granted clearance - Arsenal were at least able to field fit-again Robin van Persie, who had been sidelined since January.
Kolo Toure took the captain's armband, with fellow leader-in-waiting William Gallas starting on the bench.
It was PSG - managed by former Rangers boss Paul Le Guen - who created the first good opening after 10 minutes.
Luyindula got clear on the left and sent over a low cross, which Pierre-Alain Frau drilled just wide.
Luyindula then somehow contrived to miss the target from 10 yards having weaved his way into the Arsenal penalty area.
That let off seemed to spark the hosts into life as Van Persie was tripped on the edge of the area following a powerful run.
The Dutchman took the resulting free-kick himself but blasted over.
As the interval approached, Toure made a hash of an attempted clearance on the edge of the Arsenal area - kicking the ball up over his head and straight to Pauleta.
The PSG captain tried to lob Almunia but the Spanish keeper pulled off an acrobatic one-handed save.
In first-half injury-time, Arsenal snatched the lead from a corner which was not cleared properly.
When the ball was swept back into the box Bendtner showed great strength to chest it down into the path of Flamini, who stretched to volley into the bottom right corner off the post.
As predicted, Wenger made sweeping changes for the start of the second half - replacing Fabregas as well as goalscorer Flamini, who could have left the club in the summer.
As the hour-mark passed Clichy's through-ball released Bendtner but, after holding off his marker, the Dane spurned the one-on-one with the keeper as he opened his body and put the ball wide.
However, after 70 minutes he made no mistake, stabbing in from two yards after keeper Mickael Landreau had failed to hold onto his knockdown from a corner.
A near-post finish from Luyindula pulled one back for PSG, and there was still time for Bendtner to miss a late penalty after Alexander Hleb was fouled.
Clearly much hard work now lies ahead for Wenger and his men, who face Inter Milan here on Sunday afternoon - but on today's evidence, it may well provide some just rewards.
# Wenger still wants new recruits
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger remains hopeful of bringing in a couple more fresh faces before the new campaign kicks off.
The Gunners continued their pre-season schedule with the Emirates Cup this afternoon, where they beat Paris St Germain 2-1 with goals from Mathieu Flamini and Nicklas Bendtner.
Following the departure of talismanic captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona and veteran midfielder Freddie Ljungberg to West Ham, there have been suggestions Wenger's squad is light on experience.
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Chelsea's Lassana Diarra, while the future of winger Jose Antonio Reyes has to be sorted out, with Real Madrid understood to be close to a deal for the player they had on loan last season.
Although Wenger refused to be drawn on specifics when quizzed by reporters this afternoon, the Arsenal manager maintained he was still active in the transfer market.
'We have the potential to do it,' he said of the Gunners' chances of recruiting further.
'If I find the right player, I will take him. If I find two, I will do it.
'But it is not compulsory. If we do not get them, we do not get them. We have enough quality.
'That will not be an excuse if I do not get a player, not to compete.'
Wenger, though, maintains he is not about to move for ex-Gunner Nicolas Anelka, who is known to be keen on a return to the club at which he made his name should the chance arise.
Anelka - now 28 and with Bolton - enjoyed a successful spell with Arsenal and helped fire them to the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998 before joining Real Madrid for £22million a year later.
Wenger has no doubts about the qualities of the French striker, but feels he has enough other attacking options within the squad.
'At the moment I have not made any offer for Anelka,' the Arsenal manager said.
'I felt we had the strikers we needed, and also I wanted a player like Eduardo, who can play on the flanks and with (Emmanuel) Adebayor, or with (Robin) van Persie.
'That is why we have gone for Eduardo, and it was more a question of choice rather than the quality of Anelka, because I rate him very highly.
'It was just we have others who play in the same position.'
Wenger added: 'I can bring in who I want and the board do not interfere in that, unless there is a compulsory financial situation that we cannot afford.'
Wenger's major summer signing was striker Eduardo.
The Brazilian-born Croatia international will not feature this weekend, however, as the club are still awaiting a work permit from the Home Office after an initial application was refused.
Wenger is 'confident' ahead of the appeal on August 2, and revealed the striker would most likely play in the Amsterdam Tournament next weekend, as that is not governed by United Kingdom rules.
'We sign our contracts subject to work permits, so we have not been negligent,' insisted Wenger.
'If the work permit does not happen, we are not in a position where we are obliged to keep the player.'
Wenger will now prepare his side to face Inter Milan on Sunday.
The Arsenal boss was impressed how the squad - missing the likes of Togo striker Adebayor, Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott and Gilberto - adapted against a side who begin their domestic season next weekend.
'We had many players out today, and I also left some on the bench,' said Wenger.
'Overall, against a very good Paris team, it was a good, hardworking performance.
'We took control in the second half and won the game normally.'
Wenger added: 'You can learn the different associations you can make in your team, risk things you cannot do in normal championship games.
'You can also discover how close the young players are to competing at the top level, and also see where you stand physically.'
PSG coach Paul Le Guen, meanwhile, feels Arsenal can compete for top honours next season.
The former Rangers boss said: 'I think they will be in a position to play for one of the top places.
'When they are complete and have players like Adebayor up front, they will be very strong.
'Their young players, like [Cesc] Fabregas will also have one more year experience.
'I think Arsenal will be very hard to play and can challenge Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.'
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