Are we sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. After a sleepy summer with no meaningful football (outside of the Ladies Euro’s) for nearly two months, it was time to rouse ourselves from our collective slumber. A trip to the Lion City is always a treat and even from 7,000 miles away, I could smell and taste Chilli Crab wafting over from the Newton Circus hawker centre with the promise of a few cold ones to be sunk later at Harry’s Bar at Clarke Quay. Unfortunately, it was only the waking remembering of times past. Ahh, thems the days. Damn you, Marcel Proust.
In keeping with the preamble, this will be a suitably impressionistic rather than detailed match report, as much in the interests of time as the fact that there is not much to be gleaned from the first pre-season friendly.
And so, to the game. The Arsenal started with a strong line up.
Raya
White, Saliba, Calafiori, Zinchenko
Norgaard, Nwaneri, Rice,
Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
A fair side, it has to be said. The only tourist not on the bench was Gabriel, which was odd as he was shown in pretty full-on training in the video released ahead of the game. I’m all for slowly reintroducing him back in though, so I managed to put down my pitchfork and flaming torch.
Milan, I thought, started pretty slickly and were the more impressive side for the first 20 minutes. After this point, it was all Arsenal though really. Nwaneri worked his way into the game and looked threatening in the Ødegaard role, with a couple of really clever manipulations of the ball making his victims look very uncomfortable. He also managed a really good shot which well saved by the Milan keeper. As the half wore on, the game settled into the pattern so familiar to us from last season, wherein a fairly pedestrian Arsenal build-up was thwarted by an 11-man defence. 30-degree heat and 90% humidity are, though, a genuine excuse so once again I managed to fight off the urge to incite the peasants to burn down the evil baron’s castle. Everyone acquitted themselves well and Milan were restricted to Leao running down blind alleys, pretending he was comfortable to take on Saliba without actually doing it. Saka was far and away the most impressive player on the pitch.
Half-time went and I reached for a Singapore Sling and considered throwing some peanut shells on the floor. The wife was not pleased. For I was not in the Long Bar at Raffles. So, water and an apple it was for my half-time refreshment.
We were treated to a mass team change for the second half and the team which started was:
Kepa
White, Saliba, Kiwior, MLS
Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice
Saka, Trossard, Havertz
Again, a fair side. We were immediately brighter with Ødegaard bringing a little more zip to proceedings, ably assisted by Kiwior who played some very nice passes from the back. And it was Kiwior who provided the excellent bending cross from 10 yards outside the box on the left-hand side over to Saka on the right-hand side of the 6-yard box to scuff in for the only goal of the game. It was in truth well deserved. On around 70 minutes Arteta introduced Salmon, 15, for Saliba and Dowman, 15, for Saka, as well as Nichols, a hoary veteran who will be 19 at the weekend, for White. After a bit of a tentative start, Nichols settled in and had a good 20 minutes,. Dowman started like he belonged from minute one, although his tendency to hold on to the ball a bit too long does grate a little. Of course, at that age none of us ever did that. He is not 16 until December. Salmon played as if he were Saliba. By which I mean faultlessly, assuredly.
The game ended and we won probably one of the most comfortable 1-0’s you will ever witness. We were then treated to penalties as a bit of a digestif. Ødegaard missed our first to keep up his recent habit of poor striking of the ball at set pieces. Both keepers saved a good few. Dowman and Nichols both took excellent pens but unfortunately Salmon missed the last for us and we lost the shoot out when the next Milan player scored.
It was all jolly good fun and a nice work out. Expect to see the pace picked up increasingly over the next couple of weeks. Next up Geordie Arabia, also in Singapore, at the weekend.
CER
Knowing your sophisticated culinary tastes it must have been a labour of love to report on this one fuelled only by fruit and water . I work at a prison on Wednesdays ( cue for jokes , abuse etc ) so saw nothing of the match but I did hear Brooke Norton Cuffy interviewed about Gyokeres (he spent a year at Coventry with him)and could scarcely have been more complimentary .
Seeing BNC could not get near our team- he plays for Genoa-it does underline just how strong our squad is . Maybe being an old man of 20 counted against him.
Repeating from the last drinks, a nice piece on Max Dowman
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/07/23/15-year-old-max-dowman-arsenal-next-superstar/
Fine report, CER.
Ome to think of it, a Singapore Sling and peanuts please, and don’t be skimpy about the seconds as I have never visited those environs although Kuala Lumpur seems to be on the travel agenda. Another season seems to be upon us so may it be a good, or preferably, a great one. 🤞
An entertaining report on an entertain game, CER, albeit one that was mostly played in pre-season style and pace.
I was thoroughly impressed by all of the five teenagers on show. Dowman looked capable of starting in the PL, superb confidence and skillset. Nichols and Salmon both looked very assured.
The Long Bar at Raffles? Takes one back to the Singapore of ceiling fans, cricket on the Padang, and reminiscences of Somerset Maugham. Different world. One wonders what our 15-year-olds would make of it all?
bt8 @3, if you get the chance, go to Singapore . I only ever had good times there.
Ned @5 – aah, happy days!
Someone pointed out that Arsenal today had 7 academy products on the pitch. Impressive stuff.
Liverpool have signed Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ekitike is a palindrome.
I wonder if the scousers can get that into a chant?
They’ll probably think it was a song in the 80s by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Nice report, CER. I share your love of Singapore and the Arsenal Academy graduates but I am even more impressed by Zubimendi. Dog’s bollocks that lad.
Thanks CER and to TTG for the previous walk down memory lane.
I honestly hadn’t even realized we had a friendly in Singapore as I’ve been
running round Kyushu helping my daughter move into a new place.
Looks like a good run out for most of the regulars and some of the young lads.
Hopefully it won’t be too long now before we hear he rose like a salmon jokes
as the young lad nods one in at a corner,
C100@7: If we were to sign Eze, we would have a palindromic player of our own.
Mosquera announced: https://www.arsenal.com/news/cristhian-mosquera-signs-arsenal
So, 5 players added, only one of which is a first team starter. We gave raised the floor rather than the ceiling. Personally I’m very happy. We didn’t win last season through lack of depth. Not lack of first team quality. Thui Berta bloke. He’s made a good start.
Couldn’t agree more. Not bothered about Isak wanting to leave the Arabs. I would rather that we add Gjokeres plus Madueke +/- Eze. Isak’s fee circa £150m plus wage demand of £300k pw are just foolish and beyond our budget. It’s time PSG moved for him.
Welcome to Mosquera, looks the sort of player MA likes and hopefully
another useful squad member. Calafiori, Kiwior, White, and now Mosquera
give us decent depth in defence. Have to see who leaves of course.
Not sure I want Isak to go to PSG as I see them as our main rivals in
the CL this year. Though I suppose it’s better than staying in the PL
and realistically the list of potential buyers is short. It seems a bit late
in the day to start agitating for a move if the stories are true.
Nice post, think the balance of youth and experience is good and will be interesting to see what active part the youngsters will play this season. There have been a few youngsters touted as the ‘young sensation’ and the production line is ramping up but there is a still many that as Arsene used to say, ‘have the additional 1%’ of determination to continually develop, succeed and be their best. Max appears to have that at the moment and right now, is when we will find out if he will join Saka and Lewis-Skelly as first team regulars and then starters.
Too many youngsters imo believe that football success is measured by what is parked on the drive rather than what sits on the mantelpiece. I believe Max will be the latter.
Still a while to go, but is this ‘it gives me goosebumps’ transfer window possibly the best I can ever remember? And I believe there are still deals to be done, with departures and new players.
Steve
Good points @16, Steve.
I can’t remember the club producing either such a flurry of talented youth in such a relatively short period or such a spectacular window. You’re right though. There’s still a long road ahead for those promising youngsters and real success in their chosen profession will be as much about focus, determination and drive as it is about talent, though we can certainly say already that Max Dowman has a considerable dose of the latter. Per and his team are doing a great job in the Academy.
A virtual tipple of your choice is on the bar to welcome you to the Drinks. Haste ye back!
Welcome KAi/ Steve,
Clearly we are beginning to see the fruits of the Academy programme put in place with Per as its lead. The amount of talent which is coming through at the same time hasn’t been seen since the halcyon days of the 80’s, to my mind at least. Seemingly a big part of the programme off the pitch has been around educating and developing the whole person with the aim of producing people who “know who you are, what you are and who you represent”. In the words of Mr Ljungberg, it’s effin’ excellent.
Excellent report, CER. Your usual imagery and eloquence were on such display that my gullet is now keeping me from drifting off to sleep. I only just had delicious unagi and toro for dinner a few hours ago. Now, I’m hungry again after your culinary epistle.
(And your match summary was good, too!😉)
I heard someone refer to our academy prospect as Marli “Omega-3 fatty acids” Salmon.😂😂😂
Welcome to the bar, Steve!
MCMBD
Steve @16. Welcome. A drink of your choice is on the bar. Have you been reading the blog long?
Cheers CER, nice report – Singapore Chilli Crabs and The Raffles Hotel – how the other half live, eh ?
As C100 points out Ekitike is indeed a palindrome. Does that mean that on the pitch he won’t know whether he’s coming or going ? Let’s hope not ….
Or let’s hope so …
KAi/Steve@16: Welcome. Good to have you here.
In alumni news: Capitola Rob is reportedly on his way to the MLS, joining Colorado Rapids. I hope he blooms there. His career has never blossomed as he deserved.
Keenos has written a good piece on the merits of choosing Gyokeres plus 4-5 over Isak plus 2-3:
Every signing is a gamble of course.
And Amy Lawrence has a not dissimilar take, in the Atlantic (£):
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6485860/2025/07/25/viktor-gyokeres-arsenal-transfer-decision/
Thanks for two good links, Bath.
Blastability? Not to be found in the OED. But we could use some.
At last:
https://www.arsenal.com/news/viktor-gyokeres-signs-arsenal
He will be VG14.
What a close season. Have we ever had a better one?
Big boots to fill in the No 14 shirt but it’s good to see Viktor here
and at a relatively reasonable price too.
This has been a truly excellent window so far and I believe that the addition of Viktor to this beefed up squad is going to be the key to the success we have been craving for far, far too many years.
Finally some time to post.
Very excited about the signing of Gyökeres. The only kind of attacking player that was missing from our forward line — a fast, powerful, direct, goalscorer. People underestimating his abilities because “it was only the Portuguese league” should check out his CL and international records. He is going to perfectly complement the team that we already have.
You want to double mark Saka and try to cut all the passing angles from Martin? Now there is a lofted ball from Rice or Zubimendi and guess who is going to attack it, control, run past your last defender and slam in a ferocious drive with a singleminded determination to just score?
You want to have a defender protecting that run from Vik, well you got to then leave Saka and Martin with some extra space to move and be ready to see those whipping left footers flying into the net past your goalie.
You want to have one of your MF to shadow Vik, and leave the defense to double mark Saka and block Martin? I guess Declan will just carry the ball through that empty space into the penalty box and have you seen the power and accuracy in his right foot?
…
This has been an extraordinary transfer window for us, likes of which at least I have never seen. Every single signing is meant to bring in a very specific set of qualities keeping the squad depth as well as playing style variations in mind.
A Norwegian wunderkind as the captain, the experienced Danish captain as the back-up #6, and now a Swede goal-machine as the central striker. Quite the Scandinavian contingent… 😂
Dr F@32: Yes to all of that, but also Gyökeres will give Arteta so much more tactical flexibility within games. I also think that Havertz could blossom alongside the Swede. I don’t see them as either/ors, or at least not for much of the time. Havertz could get a lot of space in the advanced left-sided 10 role he played back in his prolific Leverkusen days if opposing CBs have to worry about Gyökeres at the same time.
Gibbs-White blanking the spuds was very funny
Great to see Gyokeres finally arrive after, reportedly, some sacrifices made by him and his agent to ultimately seal the deal. I can’t claim to know that much about him apart from what we’ve all read lately from old Coventry team mates etc. but he seems to be in the mould of Malcolm Macdonald and Lukas Podolski – a good old fashioned centre forward who wants to rip the back of the net up as often as possible. More power to him !
Newcastle being their usual thuggish selves in this “friendly “
Dowman’s on fire. He’s already forced a fine save, now he roasts Joelinton and forces a trip and a penalty. Ode converts. 3-2 Arsenal.
I see that former Argentina international Gabriel Heinze has joined the first-team coaching staff.
C100@37: Dowman’s got that Ødegaard-like quality of gliding past players with the ball stuck to his left foot and getting into a couple of yards of space that didn’t seem to be there. Prodigious talent.
Ned @39. He’s quicker than Odegaard. He also reminds me of LJW, left foot, left foot, left foot. Wonder if he can use the other one. Once he starts to play in the league, or the cups, he’s going to get kicked to death. He hadn’t been on the field 30 seconds before Joelinton swept his feet away. Ben White came up and gave Joelinton a piece of his mind.
C100
If you search the U18 archives there are some lovely right footed goals from Max. He’s left – footed naturally but he can use his right much better than LJW for instance . I’m in awe of this boy . I’ve not seen a lad this young who is this good and I saw a lot of Liam Brady
Queen Isabella, Christopher Columbus, General Franco, Rafael Nadal, Cesc Fabregas, Pep Guardiola
Your girls took a HELL of a beating!
Loved watching the Lionesses. Though they have shortened my life by several years due to stress!
First overseas tournament victory is a great achievement. Nice to see so many from
The Arsenal too, it’s been a big few months for Leah, Chloe, Alexia et al.
Commiserations to Maria Caldentay, who joined us recently
C100@40: My first thought was that you are right that Dowman is quicker than Ødegaard, but my second thought was to be not so sure. You just don’t often see Ødegaard making the longer drives that Dowman does where he can get up a head of steam (although I will concede that might be the chicken and egg proving your point). You are certainly right that Dowman is going to get kicked from pillar to post in the PL. I noticed that he and Joelinton were having a free and frank exchange of views at the end of the game. At least we’ll be able to rely on PL refs to protect the young man…
@45 I am pleased in a way at the obvious bad feeling between the two sides – with players like Joelinton you have to get right back in their face and screw the bad feeling. Fortunately, this team has been good at standing up for themselves I feel.
@38 I thought Heinze joined a few weeks back Ned. Or was there a hold-up?
OM@46: No hold up on Gabriel Heinze. His appointment was announced earlier in the month, I now see. Just me being late to the party!
I was a little surprised at the choice of Heinze to be honest as he seemed different to the previous profiles but maybe that was the point.
>>>>>>>