44mins: It's Theo Walcott's turn to shoot, as he picks the ball up from Willock and fires one towards the bottom left-hand corner. It's wide of the target and Sydney survive. The camera cuts to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is happily taking selfies with fans behind the bench. A minute or so to go until half-time.
42mins: What a run from Joe Willock... he's so close to scoring Arsenal's second there. Ozil gives him the ball 35 yards from goal, and the 17-year-old makes his way past three players before firing a shot at goal. A few inches either side of the keeper and it's a goal but Redmayne does well once again. Brilliant from the Arsenal youngster!
39mins: Arsenal have calmed the pace a little now, with five minutes to go until half-time. Wenger looking as focused as ever from the Gunners bench.
A loose bit of passing in the Sydney defence allows Ozil the chance to pick the ball up, before exchanging passes with a team-mate. They just can't find that killer pass behind the last line of defence.
39mins: Arsenal have calmed the pace a little now, with five minutes to go until half-time. Wenger looking as focused as ever from the Gunners bench.
A loose bit of passing in the Sydney defence allows Ozil the chance to pick the ball up, before exchanging passes with a team-mate. They just can't find that killer pass behind the last line of defence.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
33mins: Nelson plays the ball to Welbeck inside the Sydney box, but as the striker tries to find his young team-mate again, the angle is cut out and the home side can clear.
Immediately, though, Arsenal come forward again. Ozil collects midway inside the Sydney half, before threading a ball to Walcott. He immediately turns a shoots inches wide, but the linesman's flag is up anyway.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
30mins: Welbeck picks the ball up in the box, cuts inside and tries to shoot at goal, but Ryall is there to block. In the next wave of attack, Walcott's shot does manage to get through, but Redmayne - an Arsenal fan in the Sydney goal - is there to collect with relative ease.
All of a sudden, there is a loud cheer from the crowd as Alexandre Lacazette strolls out to warm up for Arsenal.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
26mins: Bielik, to Bramall, to Ozil. Arsenal work the ball down the left-hand side, before switching the play. Eventually they are crowded out, and Sydney have a rare opportunity to move the play forward. They can't seem to get beyond their own halfway line, though.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
25mins: Nelson does well to keep the ball in down the right, but his hacked kick forward is cut out by the Sydney defence. 20 minutes until half-time, and it's all Arsenal at the ANZ Stadium.
Sportsmail's Mike Keegan is there, and brings us this update...
'Reiss Nelson is the standout so far. Rapid and with great feet. Causing the hosts all kinds of problems. They need to move closer to him (dad joke).
'Arsenal are in their lovely new third strip, and it is lovely, but can’t help but think it’s a bit of a shame for the thousands here who don’t get to see them often (it’s the first time they have been to Oz for 40 years) that they are not in the traditional red and white.'
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
21mins: Another wonderful chance for Arsenal, and Cohen Bramall is at the centre of the action this time. He crosses from the left, and Welbeck is there - ready and waiting to tuck the ball home. Just before he can reach it though, a defender swipes the ball clear. A second goal does look imminent for Arsenal, though.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
19mins: Reiss Nelson has been really impressive so far, working down the right channel. A minute ago, though, he popped up on the left and worked a free-kick for the Gunners. It's given for a handball, and any further back and it would have been a penalty.
Welbeck strikes the set piece, and it clatters off the wall and over the bar. It looked as though he was going for goal with that effort.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
16mins: Petr Cech steps out of his area to collect the ball, before walking back in and picking it up. He's been a spectator so far. As I type, here come Arsenal again. Nelson does well to feint and work his way past a defender, before knocking it outside to Danny Welbeck. The England man shoots, but it's tipped wide.
From the resulting corner, Theo Walcott heads wide. A difficult chance, and he can't direct it on target.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
11mins: Sydney play the ball around their back-line, under considerable pressure from the Arsenal players. They look sharp, considering it's the first game of pre-season.
Reiss Nelson, a bright young prospect from the Gunners academy, whips a ball in from the right but Welbeck can't get on the end of it.
Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal
8mins: A really positive start from the Gunners, who are seeing a lot of the ball. Welbeck picks the ball up out wide and makes yards, before flicking inside to Theo Walcott. Cohen Bramall is making his way into the centre, but Walcott's ball doesn't quite reach him.
GOAL! Sydney FC 0-1 Arsenal (Mertesacker 4)
And there's the opener! Arsenal ahead inside four minutes and it's come from an unlikely source - captain Per Mertesacker.
A corner is whipped in from the right and Sydney fail to clear their lines at the first time of asking. Mertesacker is there to shoot, an acrobatic effort that finds the bottom right-hand corner.
The perfect start to the Gunners' pre-season tour.
And we're off!
0mins: No expense spared by the stadium staff as the players wander out to fireworks and lights, and we're just about ready to start here.
After all the build-up, we're ready to go. Arsenal kick-off, playing from left to right in their recently-announced third strip.
Very slight delay..
Arsenal's players have been standing in the tunnel, ready to come out, for a few minutes. Sydney were keeping them waiting but have now made their way out of the changing rooms.
Per Mertesacker leads the Gunners out of the tunnel, and we're a couple of minutes away from kick-off in Sydney.
Stadium looking full
This place is more used to seeing Aussie Rules than soccer, but tonight a huge crowd will be treated to the very best Arsenal has to offer.
Sydney FC usually play their home games down the road at the Allianz Stadium, but they've been upgraded to this 83,500-seater for tonight's game.
With five minutes until kick-off, the ground is really filling up and we're nearly ready to go!
Walcott says the team are closer than ever
Clearly, a pre-season tour somewhere like Australia means you're going to see a lot of your team-mates, be that positive or negative.
For Arsenal this season, it certainly seems to be the former... with pictures emerging of the players having a great time Down Under.
Theo Walcott says the new signings Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac have bedded in quickly, and the squad are getting on brilliantly.
“It’s the closest we’ve ever been to be honest,” he told Arsenal.com. “You have players who come in and settle really, really quickly.
“I remember Mohamed [Elneny] coming in last year, not speaking too much English, but he got into it and his English is fantastic now. Nacho [Monreal] was the same when he came and he’s settled in really well. I think he’s English now!
“That’s what it’s about. The manager brings in players early before the tour, which is great because you need to bond with them and know what they’re like, on and off the pitch. It makes them feel at home.”
Arsenal's team explained
There are, realistically, six players in that Arsenal starting XI that can call themselves first-teamers. Petr Cech, Per Mertesacker, Francis Coquelin, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck all start. A big night for the latter too, with Alexandre Lacazette waiting in the wings.
Other than that, the other five players are youngsters (and a new boy) who will be hoping to make their mark and prove a point to Arsene Wenger. Krystian Bielik starts on the right-hand side of a back three, with Sead Kolasinac on the left.
Alongside Coquelin is Joseph Willock (born in 1999!!), whose older brother Chris recently left the club for Benfica.
On the wings are Reiss Nelson and Cohen Bramall, two youth team stars who have been given a chance to impress in the first team. The latter especially is a name you may recognise... he was signed in January in a £60,000 deal from Hednesford. Plucked from non-League; will he make it to the top?
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