Martin Odegaard calmly converted a penalty in the 84th minute to hand Arsenal a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United in a lively pre-season clash held in Singapore on Sunday.
Before kick-off, Arsenal’s newest acquisition, Viktor Gyökeres—signed a day earlier from Sporting Lisbon—was unveiled to the crowd of over 38,700 fans. Though he didn’t feature in the match, the Swedish striker soaked in the atmosphere from the bench and could potentially make his debut against Tottenham in Hong Kong next Thursday.
“We are increasing the quality of the squad all the time, so we’re super happy to have Viktor with us,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “It has been a long journey to get him here.”
Newcastle, without star forward Alexander Isak amid ongoing transfer speculation, took the lead early with their very first real chance. Anthony Elanga, one of their new summer signings, smashed a low drive into the bottom corner in the sixth minute after being picked out by Sandro Tonali.
Despite the early setback, Arsenal gradually found its rhythm. Mikel Merino pulled them level in the 33rd minute, latching onto a smart flick from Kai Havertz.
Just moments later, the Gunners edged ahead when Newcastle defender Alex Murphy misjudged a ball in the box and turned it into his net, giving Arsenal a 2-1 lead.
The Magpies nearly went two behind after the break when Bukayo Saka attempted an acrobatic bicycle kick, but goalkeeper Nick Pope pulled off a brilliant stop to keep Newcastle in it.
Shortly after that save, Jacob Murphy equalised for Newcastle with a speculative effort from outside the area that slipped past Arsenal keeper David Raya.
With the game appearing to be heading for a draw, 15-year-old Max Dowman made a driving run into the Newcastle penalty area before being brought down by Joelinton. The referee pointed to the spot, and Odegaard stepped up to coolly slot home the winner, handing Arsenal their second pre-season win in Singapore following a 1-0 triumph over AC Milan.
Reflecting on the contest, Arteta noted the intensity of the encounter. “Playing against Newcastle today wasn’t just a friendly. It was a real test,” he said. “It gave us the chance to raise our competitiveness and physical level. There are still things we need to work on, like how we compete, understand our positions and show the willingness to win.”
