Arsenal Earn Emphatic Victory Over Charlton in Closed Doors Friendly

Arsenal recorded an emphatic 6-0 victory over Championship side Charlton Athletic on Saturday afternoon, as the Gunners attempt to get up to speed ahead of the Premier League's return later this month.

Football clubs up and down the country are whipping their players into shape, after the FA announced that both the top flight and the Championship were to restart in a matter of weeks.

And Arsenal used this preparation time to arrange a friendly with Charlton, and the Gunners romped to a confidence-boosting 6-0 victory over the second-tier strugglers, as reported on the club's website.

There were no official referees present at the match, with coaching staff of the two clubs stepping in to officiate proceedings. The Gunners fielded a strong side for this fixture, allowing their stars to get some much-needed game time prior to the gruelling demands of the Premier League's restart.

And it was strike duo Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who got the ball rolling for the north Londoners, with the Frenchman firing home from distance, while his Gabonese teammate curled an effort beyond the goalkeeper from the left-hand side.

Youngster Eddie Nketiah staked his claim for a starting place in the team by scoring the third and fourth goals for the Gunners, first reacting quickest to tap in from close range, and then slotting into the net from a one-on-one.

And he made his case even further by completing an excellent hat-trick, before fellow academy product Joe Willock rounded off the scoring with a strike from the edge of the box, which found the top-left corner of the Charlton goal.

For Arsenal, it was an excellent opportunity to get some minutes in the tank and some miles on the clock, but while the Addicks will have benefitted physically from the run out, it may prove to be a demoralising defeat for Lee Bowyer's men.