Arsenal Shock Xavi In Preseason Clash

Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez said he was surprised by Arsenal’s intensity and tactical fouls as the LaLiga champions were beaten 5-3 by the Premier League side in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha twice gave Barca the lead, but goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and a Leandro Trossard brace took Arsenal out of sight.

Ferran Torres briefly got Barca — who wore a white kit for the first time in 44 years — back into the game late on, only for substitute Fabio Vieira to restore Arsenal’s two-goal lead in the 89th minute.

“It was a good game for the fans but not so much for the coaches,” Xavi said in the post-game news conference.

“It was up and down. You could tell Arsenal are much further down the line than us [in preseason]. That said, we were far too soft in defence.

“There were positives and negatives, though. I said to Mikel at the end of the game, it was like a Champions League tie with the intensity they put in.

“It was not normal for a friendly, but I understand everyone wants to win. For us, it was our first friendly and we went into it off the back of loads of players having had a bug.”

Asked if the intensity of the match had surprised him, he added: “Not ours, but Arsenal’s, yes. It is not normal to play with so much intensity, making tactical fouls.

“Everyone wants to compete, but it is friendly. They were playing with another level of intensity. We took it seriously but the main reason [for losing] was the difference in rhythm and match sharpness.”