Arsenal kicked off their 2025/26 pre-season tour of Asia on a high note with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the Singapore Festival of Football 2025 at the Singapore National Stadium.
The match served as a valuable opportunity for both sides to build chemistry and assess new talent ahead of the upcoming Premier League and Serie A campaigns.
England winger Bukayo Saka was handed the captain’s armband for the Gunners, while Portuguese star Rafael Leão led the line for Milan.
Arsenal nearly struck early in the 7th minute when Saka broke through the defence, only to be denied by Milan’s goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano with a swift save.
Seventeen minutes later, rising Arsenal talent Ethan Nwaneri tested Terracciano once again with a powerful effort, but the 35-year-old veteran stood firm to keep the score level.
Riccardo Calafiori came close to breaking the deadlock in the 40th minute with a dangerous attempt that looked destined for goal, only for Strahinja Pavlović to head it off the line in dramatic fashion.
Despite chances on both ends, the first half ended goalless.
The second half saw wholesale changes from both managers, giving opportunities to a range of players looking to impress. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta introduced new signings Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi, along with captain Martin Ødegaard, while AC Milan’s Massimiliano Allegri brought on Matteo Gabbia and Swiss forward Noah Okafor.
The breakthrough finally came in the 52nd minute. A miscleared pass from Milan’s defence off Jakub Kiwior’s delivery fell kindly to Saka, who calmly slotted the ball past Terracciano to give Arsenal the lead.
Milan pushed hard for an equaliser through the lively trio of Leão, Okafor, and substitute Warren Bondo, but were unable to breach Arsenal’s defence.
In the 74th minute, substitute goalkeeper Lorenzo Toriani made a brilliant save to deny Mikel Merino’s powerful header and keep Milan in the game. However, Arsenal held on for the win, with the scoreline remaining 1-0 at full time.
This win sets the tone for the rest of Arsenal’s Asian tour, as they prepare to face Newcastle United in Singapore on Sunday, followed by a highly anticipated North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong next Thursday.
The Gunners will then return to the UK for Emirates Cup fixtures against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao, before opening their Premier League season away to Manchester United on 17 August.
Credit Photo : HongZheng Lim/SNE-Photo
