What are Arsenal’s pre-season plans?

Mikel Arteta

What are Arsenal’s pre-season plans?

By Tum Balogun 

With the unusual timing of this year’s World Cup in Qatar, the first half of this season’s footballing calendar is about as condensed as humanly possible. 


Many Premier League clubs, including the Gunners, will be returning to pre-season training as early as next week ahead of a busy Premier League campaign which begins 5th August. 


Mikel Arteta’s men will be looking to integrate the summer recruits into the team’s system and get some crucial running into their legs for the intense year ahead. 



Where are they going? 

Arsenal will be participating in two foreign camps before a final pre-season fixture back home at The Emirates. 


The first, shorter, trip takes them to Germany ahead of a US tour which is split between Baltimore, Maryland and Orlando, Florida. 


The Gunners could yet add more fixtures to the light schedule to guarantee sharpness at the start of the campaign. 


Who are they playing? 


Nurnberg, July 8th at Max-Morlock-Stadion, Nuremberg

The pre-season action kicks off with a fixture against the 2. Bundesliga side who finished eighth in the league standings last term. 


The German outfit have already begun preparations for the upcoming season and would have played three games before meeting Arsenal next month. 


Everton, July 16 at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Arsenal’s first game of their US tour, and first in the expanded Florida Cup, now FC Series, pits them against Premier League rivals Everton. 


The Merseyside club are recovering from a traumatic season which saw them narrowly avoid relegation to English football’s second tier and manager Frank Lampard will be keen to use his first full campaign to get his footballing philosophy across to his players. 


Orlando City, July 20th at Exploria Stadium, Orlando

Orlando is the Gunners next stop for their second game of the pre-season competition. 


The Lions, who are 17 games into their MLS season, sit in a respectable fifth place in the Eastern Conference and could prove a decent test for Arteta’s side. 


There is likely to be a sell-out of the 25,500 seater stadium, though with the size of Arsenal's fanbase in North America, the Gunners may expect to command the majority of support despite coming up against the hosts in their home ground. 


Chelsea, July 23rd at Camping World Stadium, Orlando

Another Premier League match-up sees the North Londoners face their city rivals Chelsea in the FC Series. 


Following the sale of the Blues to the American businessman and LA Dodgers co-owner, Todd Boehly, Chelse are up against the clock to secure signings for next term. 


And even though very little should be taken from pre-season matches, Arsenal will be eager to lay down a marker against a side they’ll be competing with for a top-four spot next year. 


Sevilla, July 30th at Emirates Stadium, London

The final fixture currently in the Gunners schedule is another competitive clash, this time against La Liga side Sevilla in the returning Emirates Cup. 


The Andalusian’s finished fourth last term, even flirting with a title push for a few months so the match-up will provide a stern test ahead of the Premier League’s opening fixture against Crystal Palace. 


There will also be an opportunity for both sets of supporters to remember the late Jose Antonio Reyes, who was a favourite among both fanbases. 


Photo Credit: Getty Images 

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