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Xhaka, Gibbs, and Bellerin triumphant at All-Star Game intrasquad trivia contest

Nearly 500 fans gathered in a San Jose hotel ballroom to watch players answer questions. No, really.

Arsenal players pose with fans following the event.
Phil West

Arsenal geared up for its first of two American matches tomorrow, the 2016 MLS All-Star game in San Jose, with a morning training session at Avaya Stadium the highlight for fans wanting to catch a glimpse of players. But later in the day, the official Arsenal fan party at the Fairmont Hotel allowed Arsenal players to square off in front of nearly 500 fans in an entirely different 3-on-3: Trivia.

The team featuring Granit Xhaka, Kieran Gibbs, and Hector Bellerin (and two lucky fans) edged a team featuring Gideon Zelalem, Calum Chambers, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (and two not-quite-as-lucky fans), 25-23.

Though predictably hokey and slightly draggy toward the end, a “finish the movie line” segment of the game show-styled format allowed Bellerin to do his best James Bond impersonation and for Gibbs to channel his inner Tony Montana, invoking Scarface’s iconic “Say hello to my little friend.”

There was also an “identify the player” segment highlighted by a photo of Theo Walcott in a lion costume, which 90 seconds of research reveals was tied to a 2009 charity event.

The party, coordinated with Arsenal America, is a preview for tomorrow night’s match against MLS’s best players (7:30 pm ET, ESPN/UniMas).