SAN FRANCISCO — Chuba Akpom scored a late winner as English giant Arsenal defeated the Major League Soccer All-Stars 2-1 in San Jose Thursday.
England Under-21 striker Akpom pounced three minutes from time at the Avaya Stadium as the Premier League side snatched victory in an entertaining game.
Akpom tapped in from close range after neat interplay saw Spaniard Nacho Monreal go clear down the left before squaring for his young teammate.
“I’m really happy to come on and score the winning goal,” Akpom said.
“It’s a friendly but we take it seriously and we wanted to win.”
Akpom, 20, is hoping to establish himself in Arsenal’s first team squad this season and impressed during his appearance as substitute on a warm night in northern California.
His winner came after Joel Campbell had fired Arsenal into the lead with an 11th-minute penalty.
That goal was canceled out as the MLS All Stars leveled through former Chelsea star Didier Drogba on the stroke of half-time.
Drogba, who now plays for Montreal Impact, tucked away his finish past former Blues teammate Petr Cech to extend his remarkable scoring feat against Arsenal.
The 38-year-old Ivory Coast legend has now scored 16 goals in 16 appearances against Arsenal during his career.
CEO: Arsenal can’t compete financially with rival clubs
Arsenal does not have the financial strength to “outgun” Premier League rivals in the transfer market and has to be careful in signing new players, according to the club’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis.
Arsenal finished a distant second to champions Leicester City last season and fans have vented frustration at the lack of big-money signings.
Over the past few years, Arsenal has signed marquee names like Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil and Chile winger Alexis Sanchez, but it has still spent considerably less than many of its rivals.
“We can’t afford to outgun competitors that have far more money — we have to be very careful, very selective,” Gazidis told British media.
“That means we can’t afford to make huge mistakes in the transfer market. The constraints within the Premier League are less and less about pure finances.
“More relatively important become things like how well you identify players, how well you develop players, what kind of sports science you have, your analytics, your psychology.”
Manager Arsene Wenger has made three additions to his squad so far, in midfielder Granit Xhaka, defender Rob Holding and striker Takuma Asano, and, according to media reports, is actively looking for another forward.
Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has already spurned the advances of the north London club in favor of extending his stay at the King Power Stadium, while Olympique Lyonnais said it rejected a 29 million pound ($38.25 million) bid for Alexandre Lacazette.
Arsenal begins its new campaign on Aug. 14, when it hosts Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
