Another season has come and gone, and yet again, Arsenal find themselves reflecting on what could have been.
With Mikel Arteta at the helm, the Gunners have managed to establish themselves as perennial contenders for the biggest titles both in English and European competitions.
But they haven’t put it all together to become conquerors. For the third consecutive season, Arsenal had to settle for a runners-up finish in the Premier League.
Unlike last season, they were nowhere near the champions as they finished 10 points behind Liverpool.
With just a few weeks left until the start of the 2025/26 season, Arsenal are entering what many fans would consider a defining moment in the club’s modern era.
It’ll be silly to take results from pre-season preparations too seriously, but the fans will want to see the club establish a solid foundation that they can build on as the campaign progresses.
Arteta and his coaching staff are gearing up for a crucial summer tour, and it could very well be the springboard they need to finally turn potential into trophies.
Arsenal pre-season schedule
Arsenal’s pre-season schedule will begin with a warm-weather training camp in Spain before they jet off to Asia on July 19.
Arteta’s side will be looking to shake off the summer rust and banish the memories of another disappointing campaign.
However, it also provides the Spanish manager with the perfect testing ground to evaluate his squad and blood new signings ahead of another potential title challenge.
Their first pre-season clash takes place on July 23, when the Gunners take on AC Milan at the Singapore National Stadium. A high-profile test against a European giant should be a decent way to get their preparation underway.
Arsenal aren’t the only Premier League powerhouse that’ll face Milan this summer. Reigning champions Liverpool will also have a go at the seven-time European winners.
Reds fans who buy Liverpool tickets from Seatsnet.com have already been treated to entertaining football when Arne Slot’s side beat Preston North End 3-1 last weekend.
The Milan game would be a decent test of their ambitions, but they already made light work of the Serie A giants in the Champions League last season, so this should be no different.
After facing Milan, Arsenal will stick around in Singapore for a couple more days as they take on Premier League rivals Newcastle United on July 27.
The Magpies have proven to be thorns in Arsenal’s side in recent seasons, so this should give them an idea of how best to tackle Eddie Howe’s side when the campaign kicks off.
The Asian leg of Arsenal’s pre-season tour reaches its crescendo on July 31 in Hong Kong, where the Gunners will square off against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a historic North London derby at the brand-new Kai Tak Stadium.
On paper, this is just another pre-season fixture. But on closer look, it’s the first time the North London derby will be staged outside the United Kingdom, and it’s being billed as one of the biggest global events of the summer.
It’ll also be the first time that Arsenal play in Hong Kong in 13 years and a massive nod to the club’s international appeal.
Pre-season friendly or not, this fixture means a lot to fans from both sides, so the capital rivals will be keen to deliver a spectacle and, more importantly, come away with a win.
After their return from Asia, Arsenal’s pre-season continues with two fixtures on home soil at the Emirates Stadium, both of which will offer fans in North London a first-hand glimpse at what to expect from their side in 2025/26.
On August 6, the Gunners welcome Villarreal to the Emirates. The Spanish side famously knocked Arsenal out of the Europa League in 2021, so they’ll no doubt be a stern test.
Then, on August 9, Arsenal’s final warm-up game pits them against Athletic Club. This fixture could serve as a dress rehearsal before the real action begins against Manchester United a week later.
Arsenal’s 2025/26 pre-season fixtures
12.30pm: Arsenal v AC Milan (Singapore)
12.30pm: Arsenal v Newcastle United (Singapore)
12.30pm: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (Hong Kong)
6pm: Arsenal v Villarreal (Emirates Stadium)
5pm: Arsenal v Athletic Club (Emirates Stadium)
How Arsenal’s pre-season tour compares to their rivals
Arsenal’s pre-season schedule features more high-profile games than most of their rivals.
While the Gunners are on course to face some of the biggest teams in England and abroad, Liverpool, for example, have a more diverse line-up coming up.
Like Arsenal, Liverpool will also face Serie A giants Milan. But otherwise, the Reds have a more lenient schedule with games against Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos and La Liga’s Athletic Club coming up.
Arsenal’s pre-season fixtures are more on par with Man United’s schedule. The Red Devils are gearing up for an all-Premier League schedule.
Ruben Amorim’s troops will face fierce rivals Leeds United in Sweden before heading to the United States, where they’ll square off with West Ham United, Bournemouth, and Everton.
After recording their worst-ever finish to a top-flight campaign last term, United will be determined to give their match-going fans, who buy Man Utd tickets from Seatsnet.com, more to cheer about.
However, most of them will have their eyes firmly fixed on the 2025/26 curtain raiser when they take on Arsenal at the Theatre of Dreams.
Liverpool pre-season schedule
- 13 July: Preston North End 1-3 Liverpool
- 26 July: AC Milan (Hong Kong)
- 30 July: Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan)
- 4 August: Athletic Club (H)
- 10 August: Crystal Palace (FA Community Shield)
Man United pre-season schedule
- 28 May: ASEAN All Stars 1-0 Man Utd (Kuala Lumpur)
- 30 May: Hong Kong 1-3 Man Utd (Hong Kong)
- 19 July: Leeds United (Stockholm)
- 27 July: West Ham (New Jersey; Premier League Summer Series)
- 31 July: Bournemouth (Chicago; Premier League Summer Series)
- 3 August: Everton (Atlanta; Premier League Summer Series)
- 9 August: Fiorentina (H)
