Bukayo Saka the difference as Arsenal beat AC Milan at National Stadium

SINGAPORE – Much of the pre-season buzz surrounding Arsenal has centered on their activity in the transfer market and pursuit of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres as the final piece of the jigsaw in their hunt for major honours.

At the National Stadium on July 23, though, a graduate of the club’s Hale End academy again underscored his status as Arsenal’s talisman.

England star Bukayo Saka showcased his flair and finesse in front of a crowd of 22,813 fans, and scored the only goal as the Gunners began their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 win over Italian giants AC Milan to lift the Tridentity Cup.

Saka – who received the loudest cheers of the night when the team sheet was announced before kick-off – was handed the captain’s armband until regular skipper Martin Odegaard was introduced as a half-time substitute.

After a goal-less first half, Saka was on hand at the right place and right time in the 52nd minute – just as he has on numerous occasions since he made his Arsenal debut in 2018 – to meet Jakub Kiwior’s deep cross and find the net with a scuffed finish.

The strike drew the loudest cheers of the night from the Arsenal fans – who made up a majority of those in attendance – who got up on their feet to rejoice as Saka celebrated with his teammates.

In the post match conference, Arteta said that he was pleased with his team’s performance and hailed his star man, who netted 12 goals in the English Premier League last season despite missing 12 games from December 2024 with a hamstring injury.

“A lot of (the players) showed that they are already at a really good level, and Bukayo is one of them,” said Arteta.

“We pushed him through the summer as well to catch up... (and) to give himself the best chance to explore his qualities.”

Saka returned to action at the start of April when Arsenal’s title bid was already on life support as the Gunners sputtered to the finishing line, winning just five of their final 13 league games.

He exited the game to warm applause in the 66th minute having done enough to earn the Man of the Match award, and was replaced by 15-year-old Max Dowman – another Hale End product – whom Arsenal fans and Arteta will hope can be the next gem to emerge from the club’s academy.

Another 15-year-old, defender Marli Salmon, was also introduced in the 66th minute for William Saliba.

On his teen tyros, Arteta said: “It is a moment to give opportunities and reward them. And they took that chance today in difficult circumstances against a very good team. It’s incredible how at 15 years, they can perform at that level.”

Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri described the contest as a good test for his team against “one of the strongest teams in Europe”.

The Milan-Arsenal clash – both sides’ first official match of their pre-season – is part of the 2025 Singapore Festival of Football, which is the first instalment in a five-year partnership between promoters TEG Sport and the Singapore Tourism Board that will see top European clubs play in Singapore in 2025, 2027 and 2029.

Arsenal’s Kai Havertz (left) tussles with AC Milan’s Davide Bartesaghi during a pre-season friendly at the National Stadium on July 23. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

The lacklustre figure from the Arsenal-Milan game, however, is believed to be the second lowest for a pre-season fixture featuring European club sides, behind the estimated 15,000 fans that attended a goalless stalemate between Everton and Stoke City in 2015.

Among those in attendance, marketing executive Ashley Wong, 25, said: “The turnout was pretty decent, but the seats are pretty far from the pitch, so the arena feels emptier and the action seems further away.”

The 25-year-old said she believed there would be a stronger turnout when the Gunners play League Cup champions Newcastle United on July 27 in the other game in the Festival of Football series, given the game will take place on a Sunday.

The Festival of Football was last held in July 2023, when Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and German giants Bayern Munich played a series of friendlies at the National Stadium. Bayern beat Liverpool 4-3 in front of a 49,983 crowd then, while 25,095 spectators witnessed Spurs’ 5-1 win over Singapore Premier League outfit Lion City Sailors.

This is Milan’s first visit to Singapore, while Arsenal last came in 2018 for the International Champions Cup, where they faced Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta named a strong starting line-up that featured German forward Kai Havertz, Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, French centre-back William Saliba and debutant Christian Norgaard, a summer signing from Brentford. Another new signing, Martin Zubimendi, also made his bow for the club coming on at half-time.

Quizzed on rumours around Gyokeres joining the squad in Singapore, Arteta kept mum and said he would not speak about a player that is not with the group here.

Milan meanwhile had their stars on show too with Portugal winger Rafael Leao captaining a side that included American winger Christian Pulisic and former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori.

The opening 45 minutes, however, offered little excitement apart from fleeting moments of brilliance from Saka and the silky footwork of teenage midfielder Ethan Nwaneri.

Arteta then made six changes at half-time with Arsenal finding the eventual winner seven minutes after the break.

Despite the low scoring affair, the game was still one to remember for many in the stands, including Muhammad Shaharudeen, 28, and Aminah Beevi, 23, a married couple who donned matching Arsenal jerseys.

Shaharudeen said: “Arsenal and Milan have great legacies, so it’s a privilege to see these two giants going up against each other.”

Some also flew in from neighbouring countries to catch the match, including about 400 Indonesia AC Milan diehards who made their presence felt throughout the stadium with thunderous cheers and drumming.

Among them was Rio Habibi, 38, who planned out a four-day trip in Singapore so he could watch the team he has supported for 13 years.

“AC Milan is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and we have had legendary players like Kaka and Paolo Maldini,” he said.

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