Arsenal are gearing up for their penultimate pre-season outing as they take on La Liga side Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Gunners are eager to bounce back after a frustrating defeat to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the first-ever North London derby hosted outside of the United Kingdom.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta will be hoping his side can sharpen their form before the new season gets underway, and Villarreal could be the ideal opponent to do just that.
The Yellow Submarines are still searching for their first pre-season victory after six games (D4, L2).
Arsenal fans are expected to troop in from every corner of the country to see Arteta’s side in action, so there’s a decent chance that tickets could become scarce on official platforms.
But those who wouldn’t want to miss out on the exciting match-up can get Arsenal tickets from reliable resale platform, Seatsnet.com, at highly competitive prices.
Both teams come into this fixture looking to build momentum, and Wednesday’s outing gives them a chance at redemption as they prepare for the return of competitive football.
Match Preview
Arsenal were handed a timely reality check in Hong Kong as their unbeaten pre-season run ended with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the North London derby.
What should have been another opportunity to flaunt their significantly strengthened squad turned into a reminder of the creative struggles that dogged them last season.
Pape Matar Sarr was the difference between the capital rivals, and his goal was truly something special.
The Senegalese midfielder stunned supporters from both sections with a spectacular long-range lob that caught everyone off-guard, especially Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Sarr’s goal came from near the halfway line and was reminiscent of Moises Caicedo’s first-ever goal for Chelsea against Bournemouth.
It was undoubtedly a moment of brilliance, but it also sparked controversy as replays suggested that there could have been a possible foul by Richarlison on Myles Lewis-Skelly in the build-up.
However, without VAR’s intervention, it proved to be the goal that handed the Gunners their first pre-season defeat and Tottenham a trophy for their valiant effort.
However, Arsenal cannot lean too heavily on the controversy. It played a part, but they didn’t exactly produce an electrifying performance in Hong Kong.
Arteta’s side were toothless in the final third and not for the first time. They struggled to create clear-cut chances, which is a worrying theme that stretches back to the tail end of the 2024/25 campaign.
For all their dominance in possession and tidy build-up play, they lacked that extra oomph in the final third to truly threaten the Tottenham goal.
As Arsenal settle back into familiar surroundings in England, Villarreal are midway through their summer tour of the UK, which started at Elland Road against Leeds United.
They were held to a 1-1 draw by the newly promoted Premier League side despite breaking the deadlock.
Villarreal took the lead through Etta Eyong, but they were only in front for all of five minutes before Joel Piroe restored parity for Leeds.
That result stretched Villarreal’s winless pre-season run to six games.
It has been a frustrating watch for head coach Marcelino as his side have struggled to find the spark needed to make a fast start to the season.
Key Stats
That defeat against Spurs ended a perfect pre-season run that had seen Arsenal dispatch Championship outfit Watford, Premier League rivals Newcastle United, and Serie A giants AC Milan.
But it also highlighted a key issue that Arteta will no doubt be keen to address.
Arsenal seemed to lose their juice on home turf towards the end of last season as they won just one of their last five games at the Emirates across all competitions.
However, they wouldn’t have to wait long to start setting the record straight.
After hosting Villarreal in the English capital, Arteta’s side will also welcome another La Liga side, Athletic Club, for the Emirates Cup clash on Saturday.
Both games will give Arteta and his troops a chance to bounce back, rebuild their confidence heading into a new campaign, and sort out their toothlessness in front of goal.
Meanwhile, draws against Basel, Real Oviedo, and St. Gallen, along with defeats to Sporting CP and Genoa, paint a picture of a Villarreal side still struggling to find rhythm.
It’s a worrying trend given the calibre of opponents they’ll face in the Champions League. Marcelino’s side qualified for Europe’s premier tournament with a convincing fifth-place finish in La Liga last season.
And in the new League Phase format, there’s a decent chance that they could cross paths with Arsenal once again.
Most Arsenal fans will point to victories over Villarreal in the Champions League semi-finals of 2005/06 and the quarter-finals of the 2008/09 season.
However, the Spanish club had the last laugh in 2020/21 when they locked horns with Arsenal in the Europa League.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery led his side to a narrow win against the Gunners in the semi-final before going on to lift the trophy in Poland after beating Manchester United on penalties.
This time, Arsenal have the upper hand and will head into the pre-season contest as favourites, especially with Villarreal wobbling.
Team News
Arsenal fans will finally get to see several new signings in action at the Emirates this week, as five of the Gunners’ six summer recruits prepare for their home debuts.
Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard all featured during the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, but now it’s time to impress on home turf.
Noni Madueke, who joined from Chelsea just days before the Club World Cup final in the United States, stayed behind during the tour.
However, with Leandro Trossard picking up an injury in the friendly against Spurs, the England international could get his first taste of action in Arsenal colours.
Troossard joins a growing list of absentees due to injuries, which includes Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jurrien Timber, and Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus is still months away from returning to action after an ACL injury, and Villarreal’s Logan Costa now shares that setback after suffering a similar issue against Basel.
Other than Costa’s setback, Marcelino has a healthy squad to choose from.
Arsenal possible starting line-up:
(4-3-3): David Raia; Ben White, William Really, Myless Lewis-Skekera; Martin Odegared, Martin Zubenii, Declan Rice; Bugay saga, Viktor Gyokere, Gabriel Martinel.
Villarreal possible starting line-up:
(4-4-2): Luiz June; Juan Foyth, Satitago Mourino, Rafa Marin, Welcome to their Cardo; Nicolas Pepe, Gueye Idris, Parejo, Jeremy Pilo; Ethta Eio, Gerarch Mornono.
