Arsenal start tour with win over AC Milan | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta’s side began their 2025 pre-season tour with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan at Singapore’s National Stadium, courtesy of a second-half strike from Bukayo Saka.

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The game marked first appearances for summer arrivals Martin Zubimendi, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga, as Arsenal fielded a largely familiar line-up.

Nørgaard partnered Declan Rice in midfield, with Ethan Nwaneri, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli supporting Saka in attack.

Milan, in their first outing under Massimiliano Allegri in his second spell as head coach, rarely threatened Arsenal’s goal, with David Raya, and later Kepa, largely untested.

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The match also saw two 15-year-olds, Marli Salmon and Max Dowman, make their first senior appearances.

Luka Modric, yet to join Milan’s tour squad due to his Club World Cup participation, was absent, while Samuele Ricci made his debut as Theo Hernández’s departure cast a noticeable shadow over their preparations.

For Arsenal, this was the first of three fixtures on their Asian tour, with games against Newcastle United on 27 July and Tottenham Hotspur on 31 July to follow.

Arteta said after the match that the focus remained on building cohesion and match fitness rather than immediate results, but he acknowledged the value of starting the tour positively. “Yeah, there’s always things to improve, and try to find that cohesion, within the players, and share the minutes, and everybody has to step up a level, we know that, and we’re certainly in a good direction,” Arteta said.

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The club also expect to strengthen further, with the signing of Viktor Gyökeres from Sporting CP close to completion. The Sweden international, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for the Portuguese club, is due to join up with the squad once the deal, worth around £63.8 million including bonuses, is finalised.

With defensive reinforcement Cristhian Mosquera also expected from Valencia (he’s already in Singapore), Arsenal’s summer business looks set to continue alongside a pre-season that has already delivered a winning start.