Como to visit Emirates Stadium
Como 1907 is set to travel to Emirates Stadium this summer for a pre-season friendly against Arsenal. The match will mark the first time the two clubs have faced each other. This fixture is particularly notable as it will see Cesc Fabregas return to his former club in a managerial capacity. Fabregas made his professional debut for Arsenal in 2003 and played for eight years before moving to Barcelona.
The friendly is scheduled for a Wednesday evening with a 19:30 BST kick-off. For Como, this trip represents a significant step in their preparations for their inaugural season in the Champions League. The club confirmed the match in a statement, highlighting it as an opportunity to test their squad against a top-tier team.
Pre-season schedule for Arsenal
Arsenal, the reigning English champions and European runners-up, have a busy pre-season schedule planned. In addition to facing Como, they will travel to Spain to play against Segunda Division side Girona on Saturday, August 1, with an 8pm local time kick-off at the Estadi Montilivi. Arsenal previously played the Spanish side in the Champions League in January 2025.
Following their match in Girona, the squad will proceed to Dublin. There, they are scheduled to play against Real Betis on Wednesday, August 5, at Aviva Stadium. This match will have a 7:30pm local time kick-off. After the Dublin fixture, the team will return to London to continue their preparations for the upcoming Premier League season.
The Premier League season for Arsenal is set to begin with a home match against Coventry City on Friday, August 21. The friendly against Como is strategically timed, taking place just nine days before Arsenal commences their title defence. This match will allow the team to sharpen their skills as they aim for another strong domestic season.
Como’s Champions League aspirations
Como secured their place in Europe’s top club competition by finishing within the top four of Serie A last season, surpassing clubs like AC Milan and Juventus. The club is actively investing to ensure competitiveness across multiple fronts. This includes a recent commitment of a €60 million fee to retain the services of their star playmaker, Nico Paz, from Real Madrid.
The club’s statement emphasised that the friendly against Arsenal will provide an excellent opportunity for the BiancoBlu to assess their strength against one of Europe’s consistent teams. This preparation is crucial as Como 1907 is set to compete in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.
The friendly is also well-timed for Como, occurring exactly 10 days before they kick off their Serie A season with an away fixture against Udinese. Supporters of both clubs have expressed excitement for the fixture, with Como fans eager to see how their team performs against Mikel Arteta’s side. General admission tickets for the match will be available, with further details on ticketing to be announced via the club’s official channels.
Emirates Cup and other pre-season fixtures
In addition to the friendly against Como, Arsenal will also participate in the Emirates Cup 2026. They are scheduled to face Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, August 9, at Emirates Stadium. This will be the 15th edition of the annual pre-season tournament, which began in 2007. Historically, the Emirates Cup has featured three invited teams alongside Arsenal until 2017, but recent editions have seen Arsenal play against a single opponent.
Borussia Dortmund will be the fourth club to participate in the Emirates Cup, following Hamburger SV in 2008, VfL Wolfsburg in 2015, and RB Leipzig in 2017. Arsenal and Dortmund have a history of competitive matches, having met eight times in the UEFA Champions League, with Arsenal winning four of those encounters. Dortmund is also preparing for their season opener against Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on August 22.
Richard Garlick, Arsenal’s Chief Executive Officer, expressed enthusiasm for hosting the Emirates Cup again, anticipating a highly competitive match. He also acknowledged Emirates’ long-standing support as a partner since 2007. Dortmund’s pre-season schedule also includes matches against AS Roma on August 15, and a trip to Japan to play Cerezo Osaka on July 29 and FC Tokyo on August 1, with their pre-season officially starting on July 18.
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Source: goal.com
