Evening Standard
·19 July 2023
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Yahoo sportsEvening Standard
·19 July 2023
A
rsenal had forgotten man Auston Trusty to thank for winning the MLS All-Star Skill Challenger after Kai Havertz struggled.
The Gunners beat their MLS counterparts in Washington on Tuesday evening across five events, testing the players' shooting, passing, touch, finishing and accuracy.
Each team chose 10 players to take part, with defenders Jurrien Timber and Jakub Kiwior stepping up to the penalty spot for the shooting challenge to beat the likes of striker Christian Benteke for the opponents.
Havertz and Marquinhos took on the touch challenge, with the aim to control and volley crosses into different areas, and again the Gunners came out on top with the help of Trusty and Jorginho.
The £65million summer signing had less luck in the finishing challenge - which would have been a concern given his supposed attacking prowess - as he scored zero points and failed to hit the target as MLS All-Stars won the round with ease.
Trusty, Jorginho and Kiwior restored Arsenal's two-round advantage in the passing challenge before the crossbar challenge settled matters.
Seven players from each team tried to hit the bar, first from the edge of the box and then around 40 yards out, and the hosts looked to have sealed a remarkable comeback before Trusty sealed a dramatic win from distance.