Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will try to integrate/re-integrate as many of his first team players as he can tomorrow night when his side hosts Como at the Emirates. And that includes the 75 million GBP signing from Newcastle United, Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. That’s because the midweek clash marks the final tune-up before the Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday.
While some might not take the Community Shield too seriously, every time Arsenal and Manchester City get together, it matters a lot!
Final Friendly of the Preseason
Arsenal vs Como
Kickoff: 7:30pm BST, Wednesday Aug. 12
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, UK
Arsenal Preview Content: Team News Predicted Starting XI
Especially given Arteta’s time at Man City. But first things first, Como visits tomorrow night and the other manager brings a narrative to this match as well.
Cesc Fabregas will be back at the Emirates for the first time as an opposing manager. Wednesday will mark the first time that Arsenal and Como have ever met, in any competition. The last time Fabregas visited Arsenal’s home ground, it was 2019, and he was playing for Chelsea.
Fabregas scored 15 goals in 138 appearances for Chelsea, but it was at Arsenal where he truly established himself. The Spanish midfielder made his senior team debut in 2003, and he went on to score 35 times, over the course of his 212 appearances in an Arsenal shirt.
He’ll bring his best and field his strongest team. Arteta must do the same and we think it looks like this. (And yes, we think Guimaraes starts on the bench)
Arsenal Predicted Starting XI vs Como
David Raya; Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori; Myles Lewis-Skelly, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz; Max Dowman, Viktor Gyökeres, Christos Tzolis
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.