Hardcore fans welcome Gunners and Milan

Waiting patiently for their heroes to arrive, a group of Arsenal fans braved the July 20 afternoon sun at Sentosa, with several umbrellas used as shields against the unrelenting heat.

- Kolette Lim

But once they caught sight of two buses—one strikingly red with the words "Arsenal Tour 2025"—approaching the drop-off point at W Singapore Sentosa Cove hotel, the umbrellas were promptly retracted.

Much jostling then took place among the group of about 50 supporters as children were mounted on their dads' shoulders, while others armed themselves with markers and memorabilia in anticipation of autographs from their favourite players, who had just arrived in Singapore to kick-start their pre-season tour of Asia.

As part of the Singapore Festival of Football, Arsenal will play friendly matches against Italian side AC Milan (July 23) and fellow English Premier League outfit Newcastle United (July 27) at the National Stadium.

Manager Mikel Arteta was among the first to get off the bus, along with members of coaching staff, and headed straight for fans shouting his name. He took his time to work his way down the line, signing autographs and posing for wefies.

Most of the 30-man squad, including Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly—who still had his earphones in—did the same.