Overview
Arsenal's well-deserved victory over AC Milan was almost a perfect night for coach Mikel Arteta and his students. Bukayo Saka's goal created a turning point in the second half.
The only flaw in the match was an unimpressive defeat in the penalty shootout against Rossoneri after the final whistle. However, rookie goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga still deserves to be remembered for successfully blocking three penalty shots, even though he was overshadowed by the best player of the match - Lorenzo Torriani on Milan's side.
In addition to the debut of Kepa, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard for Arsenal, "Gunners" fans will also witness two 15-year-old young talents, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon, playing for the first time with the first team.
After winning two of their pre-season games - including the win over Watford - Arsenal will face Newcastle. Their squad has just been strengthened with the addition of Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres. In particular, the Swedish striker has just signed a contract and debuted at the Emirates.
While Arsenal have just completed a new striker contract, Newcastle could soon return to the transfer market to look for some top-class players. Eddie Howe's side arrived in Singapore without the services of a £150m striker.
The Magpies claimed that Alexander Isak's absence from the tour was due to a " slight thigh injury" - a reason immediately faced skepticism from the online community. These doubts were further increased when there was information that the Swedish striker was intending to leave the club.
Liverpool are said to be making a tough offer that has caused the wealthy owners of Newcastle to seriously consider. However, Howe does not seem to care much about the developments in the transfer market at the moment. The England captain is focusing on the upcoming friendly match, especially after what happened last weekend.
In fact, Newcastle's strongest squad suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat to Scottish champions - Celtic in Glasgow on July 19. This defeat ended their smooth start after a 4-0 win over Carlisle United in their first friendly match.
Remember, Newcastle also lost 0-1 to Arsenal in the last meeting between the two teams at the Emirates a few months ago. Although they have previously beaten Arteta's side three times in a row. This includes two victories in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, contributing to bringing the Magpies closer to ending their title drought of more than 70 years.
Personnel situation
Mosquera has had a period of integration with Arsenal in Singapore, and will almost certainly be given a chance to play due to the lack of defense.
On the other side of the front line, Isak's absence and Callum Wilson's free departure have opened up opportunities for Will Osula. He will need to take advantage of this opportunity if he wants to impress in the context of the team keeping an eye on Benjamin Sesko.
Expected lineup:
Arsenal: Kepa, White, Mosquera, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Merino, Saka, Havertz, Trossard.
Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Burn, targett, Tonali, Guimaraes, Willock, Barnes, Osula, Gordon.
The match between Arsenal and Newcastle takes place at 6:30 p.m. on July 27 (Vietnam time).
