VIKTOR GYOKERES watched on as Arsenal concluded their Singapore trip with a 3-2 victory over Newcastle.
The Gunners’ £63.5m new striker flew out on Saturday and within hours was being unveiled and paraded on the pitch before kick off at the Singapore National Stadium.
And the 27-year-old Swede could soon make his debut with Mikel Arteta’s men heading to Hong Kong on Tuesday ahead of their clash with rivals Tottenham two days later.
Arsenal were forced to come from behind against the Toon after new-boy Anthony Elanga netted after just six minutes, scoring twice in two minutes through Mikel Merino and an Alex Murphy own goal.
Jacob Murphy levelled for Eddie Howe’s men only for Martin Odegaard to seal the win from the penalty spot – won by an amazing dribble from 15-year-old Max Dowman.
The buzz before kick-off around finally getting a glimpse of Gyokeres in the flesh wearing the red and white of Arsenal left the match itself as a bit of an afterthought.
And when the Swede emerged from the dressing room 15 minutes before kick-off, captured on the big screens strolling down the tunnel applauded by bemused young mascots, the reaction inside the Singapore National Stadium – with nearly 40,000 in attendance – was surreal.
It was as if a pop star had just stepped onto the stage for the first night of their global tour. Forget the Swifties – the Gyokies are something else with their trademark mask pose.
It is hard to think of an Arsenal signing in recent times that has garnered this much attention and fanfare, not to mention one who has been unveiled and paraded thousands of miles away from home before an important pre-season game.
Gyokeres – known for his cool and calculated killer instinct, unflappable in the big moments – could not help but crack an awkward smile as he walked around the pitch and applauded the crazed Singapore locals before posing for photos and throwing t-shirts into the stands.
You could not blame him for just wanting a bit of downtime away from the spotlight having flown into Singapore on Saturday after rushing through his medical in North London.
But if he hadn’t figured out already he is Arsenal’s new hope with the weight of their season on his mighty shoulders, he has now.
When the main event was over, a game of football kicked off. Arteta went strong, just like he had done in their 1-0 win against AC Milan on Wednesday.
Havertz led the line and Ethan Nwaneri got another chance to impress in midfield in place of Odegaard while Calafiori partnered William Saliba in defence again with new boy Cristhian Mosquera not yet ready to make the squad.
It was a poor start for the Gunners with Toon’s £55m signing Elanga scuffing a sixth-minute effort in off the post from a cut-back cross that had Saliba and Calafiori marking the same man.
And with their new No.14 sat watching in the stands, Arsenal were wasteful with their own chances.
Havertz mistimed a free header in the box and Calafiori’s low delivery was begging to be tucked away but failed to find a willing runner.
Leandro Trossard came close to being subbed off, signalled to do so by Arteta after going down twice in as many minutes, yet managed to carry on.
This had the feel of a spicy Prem game, especially between two sides who have developed a real hate-hate relationship over the years.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was wrestled to the floor by Jamaal Lascelles at a corner and Bukayo Saka went down clutching his face after a collision with Sandro Tonali, one that left Arteta raging down the touchline with play allowed to continue.
But he was not angry for very long as Arsenal were in front with two quickfire goals, the first in the 33rd minute as Merino slotted into the bottom corner, teed up by Havertz.
And the German was alert again to a quickly-taken free-kick that put him away down the left – his whipped ball across goal thumped into his own net by Murphy in the 35th minute.
On his first start for the club, Martin Zubimendi was brilliant, dictating the play, and showing he could also do the ugly work too, picking up a yellow card just before the break for a cynical counter-stopping foul on Anthony Gordon.
Howe made nine changes for the second half while Arteta made just the one – bringing on skipper Odegaard for Nwaneri, but was forced into another as Calafiori limped off with a worrying left leg issue given his injury woes last season, replaced by Jakub Kiwior.
Saka came close with an acrobatic effort before Jacob Murphy’s deflected long-range thump wriggled its way past David Raya.
Arteta switched things up after that with Raya off for Kepa Arrizabalaga while Havertz and Saka were brought off for Max Dowman and Gabriel Martinelli.
Teenager Dowman has seriously impressed during his cameos so far, brilliantly cutting in from the right wing here and forcing Nick Pope and then the subbed-on John Ruddy into diving saves.
And then, in the 82nd minute, a sublime spin and footwork off the flank saw him glide into the box and win the penalty that Odegaard duly converted.
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