Watford were beaten 4-1 in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly at their London Colney training ground neighbours Arsenal. 

Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring for the Gunners around the 15-minute mark, but some impressive pressing from the Hornets led to Philip Zinckernagel’s equaliser shortly before half time. 

An Alexandre Lacazette penalty, a Kieran Tierney tap-in and a good finish from Miguel Azeez sealed the win in the second half for the home side as the visitors finished the match with a number of young players on the pitch.

Xisco Munoz chose a strong starting XI for the beginning of the match with first choice goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann playing behind a back four of Jeremy Ngakia, Craig Cathcart, Christian Kabasele and Adam Masina who returned from an injury sustained in the West Bromwich Albion match at the weekend. 

A midfield three of Imran Louza, Peter Etebo and Zinckernagel played with an attacking trio of Ismaila sarr, Emmanuel Dennis and Joshua King. 

After a period of sustained Arsenal pressure from the beginning of the match, the hosts eventually made the breakthrough when Nketiah cut inside of Louza and curled beyond Daniel Bachmann into the far corner of the net. 

Watford didn’t look too far behind Arsenal in terms of quality however and Etebo came close to pulling the sides level with a shot from a cleared corner that flashed just wide of Bernd Leno’s right-hand post. 

At the other end, Nketiah tried to repeat the trick that opened the scoring earlier in the match, but this time Bachmann was able to react quickly enough to keep the effort out. 

The visitors then drew level shortly before the break when Arsenal were caught napping at the back.  

Louza’s tenacity wrestled the ball away from Mohamed Elneny and King rolled the ball into the feet of Zinckernagel, who fired home at the second attempt. 

Sarr then had a decent chance to put Watford in front from a corner, as the ball fell kindly for him on the edge of the area, but as he fired goalwards, Masina inadvertently got in the way of the strike and the ball skewed away, sending the sides in level at half time. 

Dan Gosling, Kane Crichlow and Ashley Fletcher came on at half time in place of Zinckernagel, Dennis and King as Munoz continued to rotate his squad to make sure all are prepared for the opening weekend of the Premier League in just over a couple of weeks. 

It was Arsenal who created the first opportunity of the half, with their substitute Hector Bellerin crossing from the right, only for Nketiah to head wide from the centre. 

Another of the Gunners’ subs went close just moments later with Willian again attacking down the right. The Brazilian tried to cut the ball back from the byline but Watford had men back to hack away the delivery. 

However, the clearance only went as far as Nicola Pepe whose effort went beyond Bachmann’s far post.  

Sarr and Cathcart were substituted midway through the second half, with Kwadwo Baah and 16 year-old George Abbott coming on in their places, as the Hornets struggled to get a grip on the match. 

They did fashion a rare sight on goal just after the hour mark with Fletcher getting in behind, but he cut his effort across the face of goal and beyond the far post.

The gunners restored their lead when Kabasele brought down Ainsley Maitland-Niles clumsily in the penalty area, presenting Lacazette with the chance to score from the spot, which he took with ease.

Following the goal, trialist James Morris, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Henry Wise were brought on in place of Louza, Etebo and Masina, as the youngsters were given further opportunities to impress Munoz. There was also a change of goalkeeper, with Rob Elliot coming on in place of Bachmann.

With a number of academy players now in the team, the Gunners' experience began to show and when Emile Smith-Rowe crossed from the right Tierney found himself unmarked in the six-yard box from where he fired into the net to stretch the lead further.

Lacazette's clipped effort had the beating of Elliot with ten minutes remaining, but the ball bounced back off the post and into the grateful keeper's gloves.

However, the win was sealed by Azeez who curled beyond Elliot with four minutes of normal time left, after which Derek Agyakwa and trialist Samuel Okoye-Ahaneku were brought on in place of Kabasele and Ngakia.

Thomas Partey Lacazette and Pepe all had chances to make it five before the final whistle, but they couldn't find the net again and settled for the three-goal margin.