Odegaard’s Late Penalty Seals 3-2 Victory for Arsenal Over Newcastle

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Arsenal claimed a thrilling 3-2 win over Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly on Sunday, with captain Martin Ødegaard converting a decisive 84th-minute penalty at the Singapore National Stadium.

The Gunners overcame an early deficit in a lively contest played in sweltering conditions before a crowd of over 38,700. The match also marked the first public appearance of Arsenal’s new signing, Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres, who joined from Sporting Lisbon on Saturday. Though he did not feature, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the 27-year-old could debut in Arsenal’s upcoming friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong.

“We’re constantly raising the quality of the squad, and we’re very happy to bring Viktor in,” Arteta said. “It’s been a long process to get him here.”

Newcastle, without forward Alexander Isak amid uncertainty over his future, struck first in the 6th minute. Summer signing Anthony Elanga opened the scoring with a powerful finish into the bottom corner after receiving a precise cross from Sandro Tonali.

Arsenal soon settled into the game and equalized in the 33rd minute when Mikel Merino finished off a clever flick from Kai Havertz. Just two minutes later, the Gunners took the lead as Newcastle defender Alex Murphy inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.

The second half saw Arsenal continue to apply pressure, with Bukayo Saka nearly adding a third with a spectacular bicycle kick, only to be denied by Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Against the run of play, Jacob Murphy pulled Newcastle level in the 71st minute with a long-range effort that slipped past David Raya.

The decisive moment came late in the game when 15-year-old Arsenal academy talent Max Dowman made a surging run into the box and was brought down by Joelinton. Ødegaard calmly dispatched the resulting penalty, securing Arsenal’s second pre-season win in Singapore following their 1-0 victory over AC Milan.

The match provided further preparation for both sides as they gear up for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign