Odegaard’s Late Penalty Seals Arsenal Win Over Newcastle in Singapore Thriller

Arsenal edged Newcastle United 3-2 in a lively pre-season encounter in Singapore on Sunday, with Martin Odegaard netting the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the closing minutes.

New signing Viktor Gyokeres was unveiled to a crowd of over 38,000 at the National Stadium ahead of kickoff. The Swedish striker, who joined the Gunners from Sporting Lisbon on Saturday, did not feature but could make his debut in Thursday’s friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

“We’re constantly looking to raise the quality of the squad, and bringing Viktor in is a big step forward,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “It’s taken a while to get the deal done, but we’re thrilled he’s finally here.”

Newcastle struck early in the contest, with Anthony Elanga firing home in the sixth minute after latching onto a cross from Sandro Tonali. But Arsenal responded with renewed intensity.

Mikel Merino equalised in the 33rd minute, converting from close range after a clever flick by Kai Havertz. Moments later, a defensive mishap from Newcastle’s Alex Murphy handed Arsenal the lead as he inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.

Bukayo Saka nearly extended the Gunners’ advantage with an audacious bicycle kick shortly after the restart, only to be denied by a sharp save from Nick Pope.

Despite Arsenal’s dominance, Newcastle found a way back into the match when substitute Jacob Murphy scored with a long-range effort that beat goalkeeper David Raya against the run of play.

Just as the match appeared to be heading for a draw, 15-year-old Max Dowman made a surging run into the box and was brought down by Joelinton. Odegaard stepped up and calmly dispatched the resulting penalty in the 84th minute, securing Arsenal’s second win in Singapore following their 1-0 victory over AC Milan.

Reflecting on the game, Arteta said: “Facing Newcastle today felt like more than just a friendly. It was a good opportunity to push our competitiveness and improve our physical intensity. There’s still plenty for us to work on, from positioning to mentality, but performances like this help us move in the right direction.”