Mikel Arteta and Arsenal made it two wins from two in their trip to Singapore as they bested Premier League rivals Newcastle 3-2 thanks to a late winner.
Anthony Elanga got the game going, as his crafty shot in the fifth minute caught David Raya out in the Gunners' net - but Arsenal were able to respond.
33 minutes in, Kai Havertz controlled the ball well in the box before laying it off to midfield talisman Mikel Merino, with the Spaniard slotting away. Only a couple of minutes later, it was horror for Newcastle defender Alex Murphy as he bundled an own goal home after a failed clearance - now meaning Arsenal were 2-1 up.
Raya almost got his hand to Jacob Murphy's second half equaliser, but the late bloomer's low-driven shot zipped past the Arsenal number 1 and meant Newcastle were on equal terms going into the final portion of the match.
The deciding factor was Martin Ødegaard successfully converting from a penalty with nine minutes - given thanks to 15-year-old Max Dowman's trickery in the box causing Joelinton to commit a foul.
Here are VAVEL UK's four things we learnt from Arsenal's hard-fought win.
Kai Havertz can take the pressure off of Viktor Gyökeres
Arsenal acquired Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres for £55million on June 26, and the Swedish striker was unveiled before kick-off in front of adoring fans.
With the prolific scorer expected to be the Gunners' first choice up front, many questions have been raised over if, and where, Kai Havertz will play in the upcoming season.
Havertz showed why he is so important to the club in his 60-minute cameo, setting up Arsenal's first all while making clever defensive contributions with two defensive actions and four recoveries.
The German can also play in midfield, but will most likely be deployed as a substitute for Gyökeres if Arsenal are struggling to break down a low block, or as the left-sided central midfielder who's role is to combine with the winger and synchronise with the other number 8.
Havertz can do both with ease, and in a slightly reduced role can easily excel as the spotlight moves on to Arsenal's new signings.
Max Dowman is one of a kind
It is rare that lightning strikes twice.
Max Dowman is rare, though. After Ethan Nwaneri's first-team debut at only 15, it is likely in the upcoming season that Dowman follows in the footsteps of Arsenal's now 18-year-old and makes his debut at the same age as Nwaneri once did.
The young midfielder had a promising cameo against A.C. Milan in Arsenal's first friendly, where he was fouled and picked up a free kick only a few minutes after entering the field of play, but Dowman's showing against Newcastle furthered his hype even more.
He ended the game with two shots on target, a penalty chance won, two out of three successful dribbles and viral social media fanfare.
If his goal-plus-assist performance against the Czech Republic in May at the Under-18 Euros is anything to go by, Arsenal have a player with phenomenal technical ability and temperament beyond his years as one of their elite talents in an impressive midfield.
Dowman should not play too often - the attention would be a lot for such a young player - but again and again, he has shown that almost everything he does is beyond his age.
Anthony Elanga could flourish for the Magpies
There have been doubts over Anthony Elanga's £55million transfer to Newcastle - the same price Arsenal paid for Gyökeres - as some believe he is a player much better fit for a side that predominantly score through counter-attacking.
His role at Nottingham Forest last season was very much that - to use his blistering pace to beat defenders on the break and score, as he did against former club Manchester United in April.
Elanga impressed against Arsenal, scoring the opening goal, and his first for his new club, showing his knack for finding space in the box.
The Swedish international will hope to improve on his output of 17 goal contributions of last season, as he will most likely play on the left with Anthony Gordon shifting to the right.
Newcastle averaged 10% more possession than Forest last season, with 51.3%, meaning Elanga will play further down the field than he is used to and therefore less opportunity to get up to full speed.
To his credit, his growth from his time at Forest compared to when he was on the books at Manchester United was significant, adding creative output to his arsenal, and his journey to the North East might further his ability even more.
Eddie Howe must make new signings
With the injury proneness of players like Sven Botman and potential departure of key man Alexander Isak, Eddie Howe's Newcastle team is somewhat light in terms of depth heading into the new campaign.
Both attacking and defensive reinforcements are needed, with a new centre-back a priority and an Isak replacement needed if the Swedish striker departs.
Howe has addressed critics in recent press conferences, saying:
"We are not deluded. We know that we need to bring players in - we have known that for a long time. It has been a challenging transfer window, let’s see what we can do.”
A growing issue has been Newcastle's targets going elsewhere, with Hugo Ekitiké joining Liverpool instead while Bryan Mbuemo picked Manchester United.
Right now, the situation is not urgent - there is a month left of the transfer window - but if Isak leaves and no top player is willing to sign, Newcastle's ambitions will be dealt a significant blow.
