Arsenal took on an Indonesia XI in the first match of their pre-season tour of Asia on Sunday.
The Gunners play four times in the Far East, starting with that trip to Jakarta.
Manager Arsene Wenger was keen to get his players well prepared before the start of the new season and they started in style as the Premier League outfit found the back of the net seven times on their way to victory.
Read how it all unfolded in our live commentary below.
Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary from Jakarta where Arsenal will take on an Indonesia XI in a pre-season friendly.
Apologies to those of you who have been waiting for my posts. We endured a slight technical problem where I was effectively left talking to myself! However, it is all sorted now and we're good to go. Thank you for your patience.
We're still awaiting the team news for this match, so in the meantime, here is a look at Arsenal in Asia this month.
ARSENAL ASIA TOUR 2013:
Today: Indonesia XI
Wednesday, July 17: Vietnam
Monday, July 22: Nagoya Grampus
Friday, July 26: Urawa Red Diamonds
Today: Indonesia XI
Wednesday, July 17: Vietnam
Monday, July 22: Nagoya Grampus
Friday, July 26: Urawa Red Diamonds
Once Arsenal return to England, they then host the Emirates Cup on August 3 and 4, where they face Napoli before entertaining Galatasaray the following day.
The Gunners then face Manchester City in Helsinki on August 10 in their final pre-season friendly before starting their Premier League campaign at home to Aston Villa on August 17.
We're still awaiting team news for this match, so in the meantime I will bring you up to date with the Gunners so far this summer.
After a fast, frantic by fantastic end to their season, Arsenal have been pretty quiet so far this summer. Having finished their campaign in title-winning form, the Gunners have only so far recruited France U20 international striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer from Auxerre.
That's not to say that manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis aren't working hard on transfers. Arsenal are thought to have up to £100m to spend this summer, with the likes of Luis Suarez, Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini, Gonzalo Higuain, Julio Cesar and a certain Cesc Fabregas all being linked with a move to the Emirates.
I'm certain that the Gunners will have some new faces come the lineup against Aston Villa, but Arsenal fans will just have to be patient for now! They never exactly discuss anything to do with transfers.
I remember last summer Arsene Wenger denied knowing who Santi Cazorla was, a few days later he was an Arsenal player!
Right, let's bring you some team news.
ARSENAL STARTING XI: Fabianski, Mertesacker, Miquel, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Arteta, Ramsey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gnabry, Walcott, Akpom
ARSENAL SUBS: Szczesny, Sagna, Koscielny, Rosicky, Podolski, Wilshere, Giroud, Zelalem, Aneke, Ryo, Martinez, Eisfeld, Olsson
Wenger is opting for a 4-5-1 formation, with Chuba Akpom as the lone striker. He has Chamberlain in the hole behind him with Walcott on the left and Serge Gnabry on the right. That's a lot of pace!
Spanish starlet Ignasi Miquel starts alongside Per Mertesacker at centre-back, with Kieran Gibbs at left-back and Carl Jenkinson on the right in front of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Today's captain Mikel Arteta sits next to Aaron Ramsey as the deep-lying midfielders.
INDONESIA STARTING XI: Meiga, Sanadi, Igbonefo, Solossa, Maitimo, Van Dijk, Kabes, Wanggai, Jufrianto, Roby, Kipuw
There are a number of young players in the Arsenal squad, but keep an eye out for starter Serge Gnabry as well as Gedion Zelalem, Thomas Eisfeld and Ryo Miyaichi all on the bench. All are exciting talents.
Chuba Akpom up top is also another who will be under the radar today. Big chance for a number of these players.
The teams are out in Jakarta!
88,000 in the stadium today. Who says that pre-season friendlies don't attract the fans!
Arsenal are wearing their brand-new away strip which goes back to yellow and blue this season. It's a tribute kit in regards to the 'Invincibles' of 10 years ago. It's a yellow top with blue collar, blue short and blue and yellow hooped socks.
Indonesia, which is effectively the national team, are sporting a white shirt with red shorts and socks.
We're having the usual pre-match handshakes, but will be underway shortly.
The officials today are all wearing red kits.
WE'RE UNDERWAY!
Arsenal come forward quickly, and have so much pace up top, Chuba Akpom tries to get a shot away from the edge of the box, but his effort takes a deflection on the way wide of the left post.
Arsenal are playing from right to left, Indonesia vice-versa.
Winger Serge Gnabry is actually 18 today, and his present from Arsene Wenger is a start in this match. Happy birthday!
Arsenal have had much of the ball in these opening four minutes, and I expect it to stay that way.
Arsenal work their way into the box and do it well, but Indonesia have a lot of bodies back and can mop up the danger.
Ramsey goes down the left of the box and wins a corner. Walcott to take from the left.
It comes to nothing, but Arsenal get another corner on the other side. Walcott takes again but it goes through everyone and out for a throw on the far side.
The atmosphere inside the stadium is electric.
CHANCE! Walcott goes down the right and threads through Akpom, he gets the ball out of his feet but drags a shot/cross across the face of goal and wide.
Indonesia go down the right and have a man in the middle, he whips Wanggai puts the ball in but it doesn't find anyone.
CHANCE! Arsenal counter and Aaron Ramsey has a long-range effort, but it flies just past the left post.
Ramsey plays a lovely little flick to Gibbs out on the left, but the England international's cross is caught by goalkeeper Meiga.
Arsenal have had most of the ball so far but have yet to really test the keeper. Still goalless.
The games gone a bit quiet, but Arteta and Ramsey are really pulling the strings in the middle.
CHANCE! Better from Arsenal, as Gnabry beats three men and weaves in and out of the penalty area before playing a weak shot to the keeper.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-1 Arsenal (Theo Walcott)
Lovely goal from Arsenal as Chamberlain burns it down the right of the field before holding the ball up on the edge of the box. He waits for support before cutting it back to Walcott on the edge of the D, who meets the pass with a drilled side-foot effort which beats Meiga and goes into the bottom right corner. Nice goal, Arsenal ahead.
Arsenal have a free kick to the left of the box about two yards from the area. Walcott has a go but hits the wall and Indonesia can clear.
CHANCE! Indonesia finally have a decent chance after stringing a nice few passes together before working the ball to the right of the box. The shot, however, is high, wide and not at all handsome.
CHANCE! Arsenal come close to doubling their lead before the ball is put behind for a corner. Walcott beat his man down the right with a shimmy before whipping the ball into the dangerzone. Chamberlain and Akpom were waiting, but Meiga manages to put the ball behind.
CHANCE! Again Arsenal and again Walcott involved. Ramsey pings a lovely chip to the right of the box where Walcott heads the ball first time into the box, Indonesia manage to scramble it behind once more.
Arsenal well on top.
Not much to report in the last few minutes. Arsenal have had the ball pretty much the entire time and are just going at a leisurely pace right now.
Very decent cross from Jenkinson after linking down the right with Gnabry. Akpom was in there as was Gibbs, but neither could pull off a header on goal.
CHANCE! Walcott races away down the right and makes his way into the box before cutting a pass back towards Akpom. The striker can't reach it, but it falls to Gibbs who is running onto it on the left. The outcome proves why he is a defender and confirms that this is very much a pre-season game. He hits the sidenetting.
CHANCE! Chamberlain goes close and really should have made it two. He races onto a through ball into the box before beating the keeper, he then tries a shot from a very acute angle, but he hits it over.
CHANCE! Arsenal fall asleep at the back as Solossa volleys a free ball, but it's too weak and Fabianski comfortably holds it.
Indonesia are growing into the game and have had a couple of opportunities, but nothing that warrants reporting on. They're about to make a change though..just before half time.
Ramsey turns on the style and pulls off a wonderful Maradona turn inside the box before drilling a low cross from the right. Indonesia hang on.
INDONESIA SUB Pellu is brought on just before the break as Jufrianto makes way.
One minute of added time to play.
Arsenal finish the half with a near miss as Jenkinson finds himself on the right of the penalty area. His shot drags wide of the far post and nearly turned into a cross for Kieran Gibbs, but he couldn't reach it in time.
HALF TIME: Indonesia XI 0-1 Arsenal
So Arsenal ahead at the break and deservedly so. It should be way more than one, but Theo Walcott's strike separates the two sides at the moment.
I'm expecting a lot of Arsenal changes at the break. Could be a completely new lineup.
Ramsey has been excellent by the way.
The players are back out and Arsenal are about to make a number of changes.
Laurent Koscielny is coming on.
Fabianski is back out and staying in goal for now. Trying to see who else is out there.
Gedion Zelalem, who is touted by many as being the next big thing at Arsenal, is on.
WE'RE BACK UNDERWAY IN JAKARTA!
Looks as if Arsenal have made four changes. Koscielny, Zelalem, Eisfeld and Olsson are all on for the Gunners.
I think there may be a few more news faces at the start of this half but will confirm it when I see it.
Koscielny has taken the captain's armband from the substituted Mikel Arteta.
Chuks Aneke is on as well by the way, he is at centre-back although he is usually a midfielder.
ARSENAL SECOND HALF XI: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Aneke, Koscielny, Miquel, Ramsey, Zelalem, Eisfeld, Olsson, Gnabry, Akpom
There we go.
The pace of the game has really dropped at the start of this second half. It's probably largely due to the amount of changes at the break.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-2 Arsenal (Chuba Akpom)
Beautiful goal from Arsenal who finally double their lead. Akpom starts and finishes the move with a lovely flick out wide to Gnabry. He bursts down the left before passing inside to Akpom who has to just tap it into the back of the net. Classy stuff.
Impressive stuff from Gnabry and Akpom there. Two big talents for the future.
Akpom's initial flick to Gnabry was absolutely outstanding. Zelalem has looked very tidy since coming on as well.
CHANCE! Zelalem with a lovely pass forward through the gap to Gnabry who opts to shoot early, but powers it wide of the target. He had time to take another touch there.
Indonesia have a rare move forward down the right with some nice build-up play. However, the cross that is put in is easily held by Fabianski.
Some lovely bits skill on display from the Arsenal kids at the moment.
CHANCE! Thomas Eisfeld puts a shot over but he latched onto the end of a lovely Zelalem pass. He found himself in the middle of the Indonesia half before playing a awesome ball with the outside of his right boot through a crowd of players to Eisfeld into the box. It's a shame Eisfeld couldn't finish it.
Szczesny, Rosicky, Podolski, Sagna and Giroud are all coming on shortly.
ARSENAL SUBS Aaron Ramsey and Serge Gnabry head off for Tomas Rosicky and Lukas Podolski. Two of the big guns are on.
ARSENAL SUB Bacary Sagna is also on but I'm not sure who for at this stage. Confusing times.
ARSENAL SUB Damian Martinez has come on in goal for Fabianski, Sagna on for Jenkinson.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-3 Arsenal (Olivier Giroud)
I'm not sure if that was Giroud's first touch or not but he hasn't been on for long. Sagna runs onto a pass out wide on the right before hitting a low, hard pass to the feet of Giroud. He chips it first time to make it 3-0.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-4 Arsenal (Olivier Giroud)
Wow what a finish from Giroud, and he already has a brace in this match! He is assisted once again by compatriot Sagna, who plays it deep into the area for Giroud, who smashes it on the turn into the top corner. Beautiful goal.
Indonesia have a few moments of pressure, but Arsenal deal with it easily. Lukas Podolski has just won a corner on the left.
CHANCE! Arsenal nearly make it five after Giroud keeps the ball in play on the left of the box by the byeline. He plays it to Rosicky on the edge of the area who puts his foot through it, but the keeper can push that one away.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-5 Arsenal (Lukas Podolski)
It is five and Podolski gets in on the act. Rosicky brings the ball forward very well before passing it sideways to the German. He holds off his man on the edge of the box before powering an effort into the bottom corner. Great finish.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-6 Arsenal (Kristoffer Olsson)
Olsson makes it six. Rosicky plays a stunning cross from the left to the far post where Olsson sneaks in to sidefoot home the sixth.
GOAL! Indonesia XI 0-7 Arsenal (Thomas Eisfeld)
This is a rout and it's the young German Thomas Eisfeld who finishes it off. Giroud nods it down to him inside the box, he takes one touch before smashing this off the underside of the bar. Wonderful finish. I told you to watch out for Eisfeld!
Rosicky has run the show since he came on. Everything Arsenal do is going through him.
We're into added time now and I can't imagine there will be much of it.
It's all but over now, this goal kick will bring the game to an end.
FULL TIME: Indonesia XI 0-7 Arsenal
Well, Arsenal's first pre-season friendly comes to an end and what a very useful workout that was for the Gunners. It was always going to be one-way traffic, but Wenger's side played some lovely stuff in that match and had the joy of scoring seven times.
After Manchester United and Manchester City both lost their opening friendly matches as well, that gives Arsenal even more to smile about.
To recap the goals, Theo Walcott gave Arsenal the lead at half time with the only goal of the first period. After the break Olivier Giroud scored twice as Chuba Akpom, Lukas Podolski, Kristoffer Olsson and Thomas Eisfeld all found the back of the net. Rout.
Next up for Arsenal is a match against Vietnam on Wednesday as their Asia tour continues.
Well, that's it from me, I hope you enjoyed that match, I'll see you again soon. Goodbye.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
