Following Arsenal’s hard-fought Premier League victory over West Ham United, the club’s summer blueprint is becoming clearer. According to Opta data, the Gunners are now overwhelming favorites to win the league, with their probability of lifting the title reaching 87.48%.
Next Monday, Arsenal host already-relegated Burnley at the Emirates, before traveling to face Crystal Palace on the final day of the league campaign. Palace, however, will have just a few days to prepare for the Europa Conference League final in Leipzig following that match, leading to widespread expectations that they will heavily rotate their squad and rest key players.
So far, despite Chelsea and Tottenham having announced pre-season tours to the Far East, Asia, and Australia respectively, Arsenal have only confirmed a single friendly. They plan to travel to Dublin on August 5 to take on Spanish side Real Betis.
According to London Football News, as Arsenal are still battling for the Premier League title and preparing for the Champions League final, the club has temporarily put plans for additional pre-season games on hold. This is entirely understandable, as success in either or both competitions could mean two more cup finals to play.
If Arsenal win the league, or even finish second provided Manchester City win both the FA Cup and the league, the Gunners would qualify for the Community Shield, scheduled for August 16 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. However, four days before that—if Arsenal win the Champions League—the team will travel to Salzburg for the European Super Cup at the Red Bull Arena, facing the Europa League winners, either Aston Villa or Freiburg. This could mark only the second time in the competition’s history that two English clubs meet, following Chelsea’s 2-2 draw (after extra time) and penalty shootout victory over Liverpool in 2019.
Considering the new Premier League season kicks off on August 22, and Arsenal could have matches on August 5, 12, and 16, there is little need to add more warm-up fixtures. Additionally, London Football News understands that before facing Real Betis, Arsenal are also considering a training camp in Spain. Manager Mikel Arteta has previously taken the squad to his home country for warm-weather training during pre-season, and this plan continues that tradition.
