O'Connor Triumphs at La Loze, Pogacar Once Again Outsmarts Vingegaard
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France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Late Odegaard penalty gives Arsenal 3-2 win over Newcastle
Viktor Gyokeres, the Swedish international striker signed on Saturday from Sporting Lisbon, was introduced to the crowd of more than 38,700 before kickoff. He watched from the bench as his new club won an entertaining encounter in the Singapore heat. The 27-year-old could make his debut when Arsenal take on Tottenham in Hong Kong next Thursday in another friendly. "We are increasing the quality of the squad all the time, so we're super happy to have Viktor with us," said manager Mikel Arteta. "It has been a long journey to get him here." Newcastle, who were missing striker Alexander Isak as he considers his future, scored with their first attack in the sixth minute. New signing Anthony Elanga blasted the ball into the bottom corner after meeting a cross from Sandro Tonali. But Arsenal overcame a shaky start, regaining their rhythm and control of the game. Mikel Merino levelled in the 33rd minute from Kai Havertz's flick. Arsenal were ahead two minutes later when defender Alex Murphy fumbled the ball into his own net. The Magpies almost conceded a third after the restart but had keeper Nick Pope to thank after he stopped a bicycle kick by Bukayo Saka. Against the run of play, substitute Jacob Murphy levelled for Newcastle a minute later after his shot from outside the box sneaked past David Raya. With the match seemingly headed for a draw, it was 15-year-old Max Dowman's deep run into the box, where he was clipped by Joelinton, that proved to be the game-changer. Odegaard made no mistake from the spot to give Arsenal their second win in Singapore following a 1-0 victory over AC Milan. "Playing against Newcastle today wasn't just a friendly. It was a real test," said Arteta. "It gave us the chance to raise our competitiveness and physical level. There are still things we need to work on, like how we compete, understand our positions and show the willingness to win."
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Powerhouse Gyokeres can give Arsenal missing edge
The Swedish centre-forward signed from Sporting Lisbon on Saturday in a deal worth up to 76 million euros ($89 million) as Arsenal seek the key to unlock a first league crown since 2004. While Mikel Arteta's side are defensively durable, at times they lacked offensive thrust as they came second in the top flight behind Liverpool and reached the Champions League semi-finals. The Spanish coach often deployed midfielders Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino up front last season, particularly after Gabriel Jesus was sidelined through injury in January. The imposing Gyokeres, strong, fast and a constant surging threat, is a new type of tool for a side eager for more cutting edge going forward. After a move to Brighton fell flat, failing to make a Premier League appearance, Gyokeres shone at Coventry City in the English Championship. He earned a move to Sporting in 2023, and his game has continued to grow rapidly. "I'm definitely there... at the same table (as the world's top strikers)," the forward told L'Equipe earlier this month, comparing himself to Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski. The 27-year-old striker netted 97 goals in 102 matches across all competitions for the Portuguese giants, helping Sporting win the league title in both of his seasons at the club. Gyokeres rarely lets defenders rest, with his movement a problem for opponents, who get dragged around and struggle to keep up as he breaks in behind. The forward celebrates his goals by making a mask with his hands, which he has indicated is in reference to brutish Batman villain Bane, representing his physical prowess and lethal finishing. Gyokeres' presence should lighten the load on winger Bukayo Saka, who is often targeted as Arsenal's man to stop, and could give the England international more space to operate in. Given his superb form over the past two seasons it feels the right moment for the striker to make the jump to one of Europe's top sides. 'The best players' Sporting president Frederico Varandas threatened the forward with a fine as he refused to turn up at pre-season training, trying to force through his transfer. Eventually Gyokeres got what he wanted and at long last Arsenal have as well, after failing with moves for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in January and Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig earlier this summer, among other reported operations. "In the Premier League we've gone a step backwards... it's clear that we haven't done as good as last season, that's obvious," said Arteta in May, making his case for signing attacking stars. "I want the best team, the best players. If we have three goalscorers over 25 (goals each), bring them in, and we're going to be a much better team. "I think if you score over 90 goals, you have a high, high probability of winning the Premier League." Gyokeres hit 54 last season in 52 matches for Sporting, finishing only behind Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe in the European Golden Shoe standings, and beating Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. The striker netted more top-flight goals than Mbappe but because of the weighting-based system depending on the strength of their respective leagues, he finished behind the Frenchman. "The Portuguese league is a very good league, with a lot of technical players -- it may not be as physical as in England, but the level is really good," Gyokeres said, confident he will adapt to the Premier League. A hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League last season as Sporting thrashed Pep Guardiola's side 4-1 in November suggests he might be right. Two of those goals were penalties, however, and he scored 19 spot-kicks in total across all competitions, with some questioning if he really does belong in the top bracket of attackers. Both Gyokeres and Arsenal have Premier League points to prove in the upcoming 2025/26 campaign.
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Arsenal sign Swedish international Viktor Gyokeres
The 27-year-old, who fired Sporting to the Portuguese title last season with 39 goals and netted a Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City, is reported to have signed a five-year deal in a transfer worth £55 million (62.9m euros). Gyokeres' transfer, which could end up costing the north London club as much as £64m with performance-related add-ons, takes Arsenal's close-season spending to the region of £200m. He becomes Mikel Arteta's sixth summer signing and follows defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in moving to the Emirates. Arsenal confirmed the news with a brief post on X which read: "This is where you need to be. Viktor Gyokeres is a Gunner." Gyokeres will be expected to meet up with his new team-mates in Arsenal's ongoing pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong. The Gunners face Newcastle in the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday ahead of the concluding game of their tour, against Tottenham in Hong Kong on July 31. Gyokeres moved to Brighton from Swedish side Brommapojkarna in January 2018, but spent time on loan at St Pauli and then Swansea and Coventry, before making a permanent move to the Sky Blues in July 2021. After Coventry were beaten on penalties by Luton in the 2023 Championship final at Wembley, Gyokeres completed a £20.5m switch to Sporting. He scored a remarkable 97 goals in 102 matches for the Portuguese side. Arsenal spent the concluding months of last season without a recognised striker following long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz. Even before then, Arsenal were in desperate need of a reliable scorer, and Arteta will hope his new signing can fire him to his first silverware since he won the FA Cup in 2020, and end the club's two-decade wait for a Premier League title. Arsenal's new sporting director, Andrea Berta has wasted little time in strengthening a squad which has finished runners-up in the league for the past three seasons. Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly have also put pen to paper on new contracts in the off-season, with a long-term extension for teenager Ethan Nwaneri believed to be all but completed. © 2025 AFP
