Arsenal Prepares for Como Test at Emirates Stadium
Arsenal step back into the Emirates Stadium glare on Wednesday night with more than just a friendly to negotiate. After two straight pre-season defeats, this meeting with Como has the feel of a quiet early test of nerve.
The summer rhythm has stuttered. A 3-1 loss to Real Betis, then a 3-2 reverse against Borussia Dortmund, have stripped away some of the gloss that usually wraps these July and August run-outs. Supporters turning up or tuning in will want something simple: control, conviction, and a hint that the Premier League champions are beginning to click back into gear.
They will also want a first real look at Bruno Guimaraes in Arsenal colours.
Guimaraes set for first minutes
The £75million signing from Newcastle has already had his Emirates introduction, paraded in front of the home crowd before the Dortmund game. This time, the expectation is that he crosses the white line. He may not start, but the plan is clear: get him on the pitch, get him feeling the ball, get him feeling the stadium.
Mikel Arteta has wasted no time underlining why the club pushed so hard for him. The Arsenal manager spoke of the “energy” Guimaraes has injected into the training ground, his “hunger” and “desire to come here and create a big history at the club”. It is exactly the sort of language Arteta reserves for players he sees as central pieces, not squad decoration.
For a fanbase used to watching Guimaraes dictate games in black and white, seeing him in red and white for the first time will be the evening’s main draw. In a pre-season built on fitness blocks and tactical tweaks, this is the headline act.
Fabregas returns with ambitious Como
Across the technical area, a familiar figure returns to north London. Cesc Fabregas brings his Como side to the Emirates having guided them to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season and into the Champions League. That achievement alone signals this is no soft-touch warm-up.
Como have been busy shaping a squad to match those ambitions. The signing of former Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah on a five-year deal stands as a clear marker of intent, one Fabregas himself has framed as a significant statement from the club. They will also be missing some players still working back from summer exertions, but the direction of travel is obvious: Como are not here for a sightseeing tour.
For Fabregas, this is a return to a ground that once revolved around him. For Arsenal, it is the last home rehearsal before the season starts to count.
Arteta juggling absences and auditions
Arteta’s squad remains incomplete. Several senior names are still absent or only partially integrated after international duty and summer tournaments. Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino have yet to fully join up with the group, limiting the manager’s options in the spine of his team.
At the back, the picture is mixed. Jurrien Timber continues his recovery from a groin problem, edging forward but not yet ready to throw into a full pre-season workload. William Saliba is a longer-term absentee as he manages a back injury, stripping Arsenal of their defensive cornerstone and forcing more experimentation across the back line.
Those gaps open doors. Christos Tzolis seized his chance against Dortmund, catching the eye with a lively display that should earn him more minutes against Como. This is the stage of pre-season where reputations can shift quickly: one strong week, one convincing performance, and a player can move from squad filler to genuine option.
Free look at the champions in the making
For supporters, the logistics are straightforward. Kick-off is at 7.30pm BST at the Emirates, with the game available to watch for free on the Arsenal YouTube channel in the UK, USA, India and Australia. It is a rare, uncomplicated window into a top side’s final preparations, streamed into living rooms around the world.
On the pitch, the demands are less simple. Arsenal need sharper defensive organisation after conceding three goals in each of their last two outings. They need a more ruthless edge in both boxes. They need to look like a team edging towards the intensity that will be required when the trophies are on the line again.
Because that moment is coming quickly.
Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield on 16 August, a fixture that may be labelled a curtain-raiser but rarely feels like a friendly when those two meet. Soon after, the Premier League title defence begins at home to Coventry City.
That leaves Como as the final home dress rehearsal of the summer. One more chance to settle the shape, to feel the crowd, to let Guimaraes taste the Emirates under floodlights. One more night to turn pre-season doubts into something closer to belief.
