North East | Newcastle suffer narrow defeat against Arsenal in Singapore

Arsenal 3 - 2 Newcastle United

Arsenal made it back-to-back pre-season wins with a hard fought victory over Newcastle United in Singapore, recovering from an early setback to edge an entertaining contest under sticky skies.

Author | Ryan Gates

Stadium | National Stadium Singapore

Anthony Elanga, making his first start for United since arriving from Nottingham Forest, opened the scoring inside six minutes. The Swede was on hand to finish a sharp move involving Sandro Tonali and Kieran Trippier, albeit in slightly scrappy fashion.

The Gunners responded with chances for Kai Havertz and Benjamin White, while David Raya was kept busy at the other end, saving well from Tonali and Bruno Guimarães. Mikel Merino drew Arsenal level after the half-hour, finding the net with a low drive from the edge of the box. Moments later, they were ahead, Havertz’s cross from the left deflected into his own net by the unlucky Alex Murphy.

Anthony Gordon threatened before half-time, but Eddie Howe made sweeping changes during the break, with only Nick Pope and William Osula staying on. Pope was soon in action, producing an excellent save to deny Bukayo Saka’s acrobatic attempt.

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Jacob Murphy brought United level once more, turning smartly after receiving the ball from Tino Livramento and beating Raya with a crisp finish. He almost turned provider minutes later, crossing for Osula, who headed just wide.

Check out some clips from the crowd

Pope and later John Ruddy were both called into action as Arsenal’s youngsters, particularly Max Dowman, pushed forward. The 17-year-old was eventually at the centre of the winner, having brought down by Joelinton, winning a penalty that Martin Ødegaard calmly converted to seal the win.

Fan frustration grows over Newcastle’s transfer strategy

In addition to talking about the match, a number of Newcastle United fans have also been discussing what has been a difficult summer for them so far. This defeat has potentially added to this frustration.

James added: "It’s understandable that Newcastle are struggling to compete on wages, but what’s more frustrating is the repeated habit of lowballing clubs. This only allows rivals to swoop in and match the asking price, leaving us empty-handed. If we had moved decisively and offered reasonable fees for Joao Pedro and James Trafford, I believe both would now be Newcastle players."

Tony said: "It’s simply dreadful. Eddie Howe made it clear he wanted swift movement in the market, yet the opposite has happened. The apparent behind-the-scenes turmoil isn’t helping to sell the club’s vision to potential signings either. We’re crying out for a permanent CEO and sporting director. Until those roles are filled and decisive leadership is in place, we’ll continue to fall behind. The squad needs reinforcements that offer not just depth, but real quality."