Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom hopes to convince Arsene Wenger he deserves a first-team chance after scoring the winner in the MLS All-Star Game in California on Thursday.
Akpom, who spent last season on loan at Hull City, turned the ball home from Nacho Monreal's cross in the 87th minute to secure a 2-1 win after goals from Joel Campbell and Didier Drogba in the first half.
Asked if it felt good to score the winner, the 20-year-old told reporters: "Yes, of course. It's all about getting the team prepared [for the new season] but it was a competitive game and we really wanted to win, on top of getting our fitness levels up and winning it.
"We were playing against some world-class players out there. They still have the quality and still have the class, so it was always going to be tough. I think we've done all right since it's only our second game [of the preseason] and we'll keep getting better.
"I was playing against players I played with on FIFA [video game] when I was younger. Drogba, [David] Villa, [Andrea] Pirlo -- players you watched in World Cups and big tournaments and, wow, it was nice getting on the same pitch as them and I was learning from them."
Akpom was also impressed with the San Jose crowd, saying: "To be fair, I thought America was all about basketball but today I see all the Arsenal fans and they really know their stuff and I saw them chanting. They are really passionate about football [soccer] and it's nice to see."
Akpom, who spent time on loan with Brentford, Coventry and Nottingham Forest before his spell with Hull last season, has already said he hopes to establish himself in Wenger's squad this season and Thursday's goal may have advanced his claims.
He said: "I'm just working as hard as I can. The boss knows what he is doing -- he's one of the best managers in the world. My job is work as hard as I can and be patient. I'll just keep waiting for that opportunity."
He added: "This season is going to be really tough. You know the Premier League is always surprising, you won't know what happens. We're looking forward to training and we'll see how it goes."
ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.