Eduardo on target for Gunners

Young Dane Nicklas Bendtner also produced another impressive display, squeezing the ball home between two defenders for the first-half opener.

Goran Pandev levelled for the Italians before Eduardo scored from just six yards out with a bullet header.

Brazil-born Eduardo - signed from Dinamo Zagreb for £7million in the wake of Thierry Henry's departure to Barcelona - can expect to get another chance to stake his claim agianst Ajax for a regular place in the team when the new season kicks off against Fulham next weekend following a sharp display.

The warning signs in defence, though, were there early on, as central pairing of Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos were often drawn out of position, along with young full-back Armand Traore.

The Gunners took the lead on 18 minutes through a fine finish from Bendtner. A 20-yard effort from Cesc Fabregas cannoned off Guglielmo Stendardo, and straight into the path of the young Dane, who looked just on-side.

It seemed as if Bendtner had taken the ball too wide around the keeper but the 6ft 3ins striker promptly drilled a low shot back across goal, between two men on the line and into the far corner.

The Italians slowly began to gain the upper hand as the half-time interval approached and the equaliser came five minutes from the break.

A corner from the right was only half cleared. Eduardo tried to control the ball facing his own goal, and went down appealing for a foul, when any contact looked negligible. The referee waved play on and Pandev spun to drill in an equaliser from 10 yards.

Arsenal went back into the lead when a corner from Tomas Rosicky on the left found its way through to Eduardo, lurking on the six-yard line. The striker needed no second invitation, and bulleted a header into the bottom corner for his first Arsenal goal.