Arsenal are back in North London on Wednesday evening to continue their pre-season preparations as they take on Spanish Champions League side Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium.
This will be the Gunners’ first match back on home soil following their tour of Asia, which concluded on a sour note with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Manager Mikel Arteta will undoubtedly be looking for a strong response from his side in front of their home supporters.
The main point of excitement for the home crowd will be the potential debut of new summer signing Noni Madueke. The winger, who missed the Asia tour after competing in the Club World Cup with his former club Chelsea, should be ready to feature in the red and white of Arsenal for the very first time.
Fellow new arrival in attack, Viktor Gyökeres, is also expected to get more minutes under his belt after making his first appearance for the club against Spurs. However, the team continues to deal with a number of injuries, with Gabriel Magalhães, Jurrien Timber, and Leandro Trossard all nursing setbacks.
Villarreal will provide a stern test for Arteta’s men, despite their own pre-season schedule being littered with draws. The Spanish side will also feature some familiar faces for the home fans, with former Arsenal players Nicolas Pépé and Denis Suárez set to make their return to the Emirates.
While Arsenal’s defeat to Tottenham highlighted some familiar flaws against a compact defensive unit, being back on home soil and with new attacking talents like Madueke to integrate, the Gunners should have enough quality to edge out their La Liga opponents.
Prediction: Arsenal 2–1 Villarreal