Sone Aluko was on target but Town were beaten 5-1 by a stronger than expected Arsenal line-up in a behind closed doors friendly at their Colney training ground this afternoon.
Both teams fielded different sides in each half with the Gunners side featuring those who weren’t involved in June internationals and a more senior team than had been anticipated, certainly in the first half.
Town had Wes Burns back after being given a break following his involvement with Wales, but Elkan Baggott, who had been away with Indonesia, wasn’t in either XI.
George Edmundson, Kayden Jackson and Tyreece John-Jules, who recently signed on loan from the North Londoners, are not yet ready for involvement having ended last season with ankle, hamstring and quad injuries respectively.
Arsenal took an early lead through Eddie Nketiah, then midway through the first half Sambi Lokonga made it 2-0. Nketiah netted his second and then a third to complete a first-half hat-trick.
After the half-time wholesale changes, Folarin Balogun made it 5-0 before Aluko pulled one back for the Blues with a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Town now travel to Loughborough University for a week’s training with manager Kieran McKenna having said there will also be a team building aspect to the trip.
"We’ll do a few bits, that’s obviously the point of going away as well,” he said following last week’s 5-0 win at Needham Market.
"We have great conditions at Playford Road at the moment, especially with the Suffolk weather.
"We have everything we need from a football perspective there, but what you don’t get is the 24 hours a day in each others’ company, the meetings early in the morning or late at night and we’ll do some team bonding and things during the day, which I’m sure in the course of the week will help develop our spirit and our culture.
"We’ll do some different things off the pitch, so we’re looking forward to this week and it’ll be good to spend that extra bit of time together where you really can connect with people a little bit more.”
Arsenal first half: Leno, Bellerin, White, Mari, Cedric, Partey, Maitland-Niles, Lokonga, Pepe, Nketiah, Nelson.
Arsenal second half: Okonkwo, Walters, Kirk, Awe, Sousa, Smith, Oulad-M'Hand, Patino, Hutchinson, Balogun, Flores.
Town first half: Walton, Donacien, Ball, Ndaba, Vincent-Young, Harper, Morsy, Penney, Chaplin, Hughes (Armin), Ladapo.
Town second half: Hladky, Woolfenden, Burgess, Leigh, Burns, El Mizouni, Evans, Humphreys (Armin), Edwards, Aluko, Pigott.