Bruno Guimaraes proves one key thing about Newcastle United with his Arsenal verdict

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Bruno Guimaraes liked what he saw during Newcastle United’s pre-season defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

Newcastle lost 3-2 to Arsenal, with Martin Odegaard’s late penalty giving the Gunners victory in Singapore.

It means Newcastle United have lost two games in a row in pre-season, but the loss in Singapore was very different to the defeat to Celtic in Glasgow.

Newcastle were poor against Celtic. It was a grim start to the summer, as Eddie Howe’s side were given an early reality check.

Bruno Guimaraes is much happier with Newcastle United’s performance against Arsenal

But Sunday’s loss to Arsenal was a bit different.

That is the view of Bruno Guimaraes, who said Newcastle needed to improve after the display against Celtic.

Following the Arsenal game, Bruno wrote on his official Instagram account: “Thank you for the support Singapore. We keep getting minutes in the pre season. Much better than the week before. Howay tha lads.”

The key message is ‘much better than the week before’. It was exactly that. Newcastle were better, as they showed real signs of improvement after another week on the training ground.

That will have delighted Howe, who saw his side score a couple of excellent goals.

Coming out of the defeat, the main concern was Newcastle’s lack of depth. While Arsenal had a strong side throughout, Newcastle were lacking in a lot of key areas.

But that is not something Howe can address on his own. It is up to the owners and the recruitment team to give him the depth he needs before the summer transfer window closes.

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Newcastle United set for a different challenge after losing to Arsenal

Next up is a different challenge for Newcastle United. Against Celtic, they faced a team that was more advanced in their pre-season preparations. Against Arsenal, they faced a rival that wants to challenge for the Premier League title.

Now the Magpies are set for their second game of their Asia tour, as they face Team K League in South Korea on Wednesday. It is a game that Newcastle United absolutely must win to build up some momentum and confidence.

Howe’s side did a lot of defending against Arsenal. They did not dominate possession, and instead played on the break.

In contrast, Newcastle will have to force the issue against Team K League. That represents something different in a pre-season where they are scheduled to face some incredibly strong teams.

Whether it is seen as an opportunity to give some youngsters a chance or build confidence for senior stars, the clash with Team K League is certainly an important one despite it being the least high profile fixture of the summer.