Inside Arsenal's tour of Singapore and Hong Kong

Arsenal have completed their pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong and return to England hoping the preparations will help them win their first trophy since 2020.

Plans for this pre-season heavily involved manager Mikel Arteta. He was across the idea to put on the voluntary player training camp in June, before the full group travelled to Spain and on to Asia.

The Gunners were decimated by injuries last year and Arteta has spoken previously about how too long a break means the players break down when exposed to physical stress after a period of rest. The camps were designed to get them to a high level as soon as possible.

The pre-season work seemed to have the desired effect and all three of the Gunners' opponents mentioned Arsenal's level of performance, while Arteta himself believes there has been a click.

The pressure to win a trophy is not something the club are shying away from - centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes referenced it in interviews, as did Arteta in his first news conference of the tour - alongside huge posters showing the slogan 'ready for new heights' at the away kit launch in Singapore.

Arsenal have been busy early in the transfer market, with six new signings made before the tour was over. Only winger Noni Madueke, who was given time off after playing for Chelsea in the Club World Cup, was left at home to go on holiday.

This is sporting director Andrea Berta's first transfer window with Arsenal and he has impressed those inside the club with his relentless work ethic.

The signings - and how the club could improve the squad - was planned last season, with Arteta scrapping his 'tier status' system.

'Tier one' players were guaranteed starters but, given the demands of the football calendar, the manager is doing things differently.

Madueke's signing is the perfect example. The England international, 23, was signed for £48.5m with the thought that if Bukayo Saka is unavailable, the drop-off to bringing in another player is not significant enough to affect the team.

It also allows the club to protect Saka and manage his game time in a season that could feature up to 65 games leading up to a World Cup.

Pre-season tours are demanding of players on and off the pitch.

There was a regular Adidas presence around the team hotel as commercial activities, events, kit launches and fan activities were planned during the 12-day tour.

The squad did get downtime for golf and a couple of evenings out in Singapore, with players heading to a bar in the Marina Bay Area after the win over Newcastle.

The open training sessions - held so supporters could see more of their favourite players in action - were conducted in stadiums where the matches would be played.

However, the main part of the work was done in the day, with the players coming up against the coaching staff in sessions.

This is done deliberately by Arteta. The manager does not like giving away insights to his opposition, even in pre-match news conferences.

Players facing the coaches was done so that there is not a first and a second team - and the two groups of players who were lined up in the sessions were doing the same thing.

The under-21s, and some other young players, are not on the tour so the coaches took their places as the opposition.

The biggest moment of the tour was the unveiling of striker Viktor Gyokeres, who arrived for a deal worth up to £64m.

Such was Arteta's desire to get Gyokores with the team as soon as possible, the Swedish striker travelled to Singapore on a commercial flight alongside sporting director Berta to arrive before kick-off for the friendly against Newcastle.

It was an interesting dynamic - Gyokeres and the staff were interested to see how the team would react to him and his arrival.

It is felt Gyokeres has both the physical and mental capacity to deal with the pressure that comes with being Arsenal's number nine - while also wearing the 14 shirt worn by the club's all-time leading goalscorer Thierry Henry.

Arteta spoke to him in the tunnel following the 3-2 victory, while the striker also spoke with former Brighton team-mate Ben White.

In the matches Arsenal played on the tour there was a visible change in the way they played.

Arteta is highly competitive and sees friendlies as tests.

The tempo of play so far seems to be higher, as does the intention to play the ball forward more quickly.

There are also signs of how the team is going to progress - Ethan Nwaneri played the first two matches in the centre, a sign that that is where Arsenal see his future after a breakthrough season on the right.

Against Newcastle, the direct style was on show, as well as an ability to deal with the physical challenge of Eddie Howe's side.

Arsenal have again made a point of recruiting players who are physical. Gyokeres, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera are all strong players and Martin Zubimendi's stature has been noticed by those around the club.

They will play up to Gyokeres and make use of his imposing physical style, along with his ability to seemingly burst through centre-backs.

There was an emphasis on goal threat - particularly against Newcastle. Arsenal were breaking lines quicker, using runs in behind the defence and getting shots off.

This is all part of a plan to increase goal threats from every position and get the best out of Gyokeres' key attributes.

The excitement around 15-year-old Max Dowman has been building for a long time, but the club are being cautious with him because of his age and the pressures that come with top-level football.

Dowman's physical output in training and in youth games is on par with the rest of the senior professionals in the Arsenal squad.

Arsenal know they have a highly talented player on their hands but are still aware that Dowman needs to be eased into scenarios to see how he reacts to the physical challenges of elite football.

Dowman replaced Saka in all three friendlies - a role that will mostly be taken by Madueke once he gets up to speed.

However, he looked threatening every time - winning a penalty against Newcastle -and a full competitive debut looks likely this season.