Viktor Gyokeres stole the show with a hat-trick for Sweden, while David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori and Arsenal’s England players all came through the March international break
Arsenal’s international break burst into life on 26 March, with Viktor Gyokeres producing the standout individual display of the night and Riccardo Calafiori also helping his country move a step closer to the World Cup. It was a mixed evening overall from an Arsenal perspective, with senior success for Sweden and Italy who will now face play-off finals, balanced by disappointment for Max Dowman and England Under-19s.
Sweden
Gyokeres delivered the performance Arsenal supporters will have noticed first. Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 in their World Cup play-off semi-final, and the Arsenal forward scored all three goals. He opened the scoring inside six minutes, struck again early in the second half and then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute.
In a high-pressure knockout match, that was exactly the sort of ruthless contribution Sweden needed from its centre-forward. It also sent them into the play-off final on 31 March, where a World Cup place will be on the line.
Italy
Calafiori also had a productive night as Italy beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Bergamo to reach their own World Cup play-off final. Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean got the goals for the Azzurri, but from an Arsenal, Calafiori came through an important international tie uninjured, despite heavy involvement, in a result that keeps Italy alive in the race to reach the tournament.
Denmark
Christian Norgaard also made a strong impact, scoring Denmark’s fourth goal in their 4-0 World Cup play-off semi-final win over North Macedonia. It capped an impressive night for the midfielder, who helped Denmark book a place in the play-off final and gave Arsenal another positive international update. For Arsenal, it was a timely reminder of the experience and goal threat Norgaard can bring from midfield.
England Under-19s
At youth level, there was frustration for Dowman and England Under-19s. England opened their UEFA U19 EURO elite qualifying round with a 2-0 defeat to Serbia on 25 March, leaving them with work to do in the rest of the group. It was not the result Dowman would have wanted, but his inclusion at that level remains notable given his age and the speed of his development.
From an Arsenal perspective, the first completed night of international action was therefore led by Gyokeres. His hat-trick was the clear highlight, Calafiori came through a significant win for Italy, and Dowman gained another valuable taste of tournament-style football even in defeat.
Arsenal will be glad that all players made it through their initial fixtures without injury and with more Arsenal players still due to feature later in the window, yesterday's fixtures gave a glimpse of players who are in form and ready for what is to come in the final months of the season as Arsenal look to fight on all fronts across three trophies.