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Midfielder Martin Ødegaard netted a late penalty to hand Arsenal a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United in a thrilling pre-season friendly held in Singapore on Sunday.
The decisive spot-kick came in the 84th minute after 15-year-old Max Dowman was brought down in the box by Joelinton, sealing Arsenal’s second win in Singapore following their earlier triumph over AC Milan.
Before kickoff, Arsenal’s latest signing, Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, was presented to a crowd of over 38,700.
The 27-year-old, who joined from Sporting Lisbon on Saturday, did not feature in the match but could make his debut in Hong Kong next Thursday when Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur.
“We’re constantly improving the squad, and we’re delighted to have Viktor with us,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “It’s taken a lot of work to bring him in.”
The match started brightly for Newcastle, who opened the scoring in the sixth minute. New signing Anthony Elanga finished clinically into the bottom corner after latching onto a cross from Sandro Tonali. However, Arsenal responded with composure and began to dominate possession.
Mikel Merino equalised for the Gunners in the 33rd minute, cleverly finishing from a Kai Havertz flick. Just two minutes later, Newcastle found themselves behind after defender Alex Murphy inadvertently turned the ball into his net.
After the break, Arsenal nearly extended their lead, but Bukayo Saka’s acrobatic bicycle kick was expertly saved by Magpies goalkeeper Nick Pope. Newcastle then struck back against the run of play through substitute Jacob Murphy, whose long-range effort slipped past Arsenal keeper David Raya to level the score.
The match looked destined for a draw until Dowman’s impressive surge into the box won a penalty. Ødegaard confidently dispatched it, capping off a hard-fought encounter in sweltering conditions.
Reflecting on the match, Arteta praised the level of competition. “Playing against Newcastle wasn’t just a preseason game—it was a proper test,” he said. “It pushed us to be more competitive and more physical and reminded us we still have areas to improve, especially in positioning and mentality.”
