Arsenal 1 – 0 AC Milan: New Signings Impress in Confident Pre-Season Opener

Arsenal fans in Singapore (Credit: Arsenal.com).

Arsenal kicked off their 2025 pre-season with a confident 1-0 win over AC Milan in Singapore. Bukayo Saka’s first-half strike sealed the victory in this much-anticipated Arsenal vs AC Milan pre-season clash.

How did the new signings get on?

For the first time, Arsenal had three of their new signings in the matchday squad, with Christian Nørgaard starting in midfield and Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi introduced at half-time.

Norgaard, signed from Brentford for £10 million, took a bit of time to settle. However, he grew into the game and put in an assured and composed performance for the Gunners. Playing in the no.6 role, he looked calm on the ball, consistently recycling possession for the 45 minutes he was on the pitch. While he may not feature heavily this season, the former Brentford captain showed he can be a dependable option when called upon.

Martin Zubimendi came on at half time to replace Norgaard, and the Spanish midfielder barely put a foot wrong. He delivered the kind of line-breaking passes and calm control that have attracted interest from clubs like Real Madrid and Liverpool over the past 12 months. I don’t want to speak too early, but the signing of Zubimendi from Real Sociedad looks set to be one of the signings of the window and will give Arsenal a huge boost in their quest for Premier League and Champions League glory.

Kepa Arrizabalaga also made his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt following his transfer from Chelsea. The Spanish goalkeeper came on at halftime and did not have much to do during the match, but he made three impressive saves during the penalty shootout. Kepa looks set to be Arsenal’s main goalkeeper in domestic cup competitions during the 2025/26 season, so his penalty saving prowess will have impressed Arteta and Arsenal fans alike.

What’s next?

Arsenal’s second pre-season game is against Newcastle on Sunday, also in Singapore. Christian Mosquera, who is set to be announced this week following his £13 million move from Valencia, has reportedly joined up with the squad and will hope to play a part in that game. Arsenal’s pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres looks set to have finally reached its conclusion, with reports from David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romana claiming that the deal is all but done. It looks like Sunday’s game may come too early for the Swede, but he will be aiming to get some minutes against Spurs next week.

Check out my breakdown of Arsenal's transfer window so far here: Arsenal Summer Transfers 2025: Five New Signings and What They Mean for Arteta's Squad