SINGAPORE: FA Cup holders Arsenal claimed more silverware and sent out a message of intent for the new Premier League season as they overpowered Everton 3-1 to win the Barclays Asia Trophy on Saturday.

Theo Walcott opened the scoring for the Gunners midway through the first half and Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil struck in a four-minute spell after the interval before Ross Barkley pulled back a late consolation goal for Everton in front of a crowd of more than 52,000 at the National Stadium.

Playing his first game for Arsenal following his transfer from Chelsea last month, goalkeeper Petr Cech was called into action after eight minutes to smother Gerard Deulofeu’s dangerous cut-back from the right by-line.

However, the Gunners dominated possession and they took the lead in the 22nd minute when Cazorla chipped the ball forward from the center-circle for Walcott who beat goalkeeper Joe Robless in a race for the ball and fired home from the edge of the Everton box.

Everton had the ball in the net in the 41st minute when Arouna Kone’s shot was deflected in after Cech had tipped a Steven Naismith header against the crossbar but the offside flag had already gone up.

Cech made a fine save to turn away an angled drive by Luke Garbutt early in the second half but Arsenal then turned up the pressure with Walcott shooting narrowly wide and Robless making good saves to deny Cazorla and Hector Bellerin.

But the Arsenal pressure finally told in the 58th minute when Cazorla received the ball from Ozil on the right of the Everton box and cut inside before firing a low shot past Robless at his near post.

Kone missed a glorious opportunity to cut the deficit when he headed over an inviting cross by Phil Jagielka on the hour and Arsenal took full advantage of the let-off as Ozil played a one-two with Cazorla before bursting into the box to fire past Robless.

Barkley got a consolation goal for Everton with 15 minutes left, firing a rasping left-footed drive past Cech from 20 meters after the Arsenal defense had been caught in possession in their own half.

Stoke City had earlier secured third place after goals in either half by Steve Sidwell and Marko Arnautovic gave them a 2-0 win over a Singapore Select XI.

Roma stuns Real Madrid

In Melbourne, Rafael Benitez opened his tenure as Real Madrid manager with a 7-6 loss on penalties to Roma in a pre-season friendly watched by more than 80,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Seydou Keita scored the winner after Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis dived to his left to deny new Madrid signing Lucas Vazquez.

What started off as an entertaining opener of the Australian leg of the International Champions Cup turned into a somewhat lackluster affair that finished 0-0 after 90 minutes.

While man of the match Gervinho was the standout for Roma and 38-year-old captain Francesco Totti dazzled in his 32-minute cameo, Cristiano Ronaldo was the crowd favorite prompting a deafening roar every time the Madrid forward touched the ball.

Both teams fielded full strength lineups and they rewarded the big Melbourne crowd early when Roma came close to scoring in the fourth minute. The Madrid defense was forced to scramble inside the box as both Daniele De Rossi and Totti took close-range shots.