Breaking Down Arsenal's Pre-Season Friendly Opponents

With Arsenal now back in preseason training, thoughts are turning inevitably towards the friendly fixture schedule.

Although these matches are not truly competitive, they can give a useful indicator of the physical and mental state of the team prior to the season's true kick-off.

In this piece, we provide some background information on each of Arsenal's preseason opponents, starting with the specially compiled Singapore Select XI.

Singapore Select XI, July 15

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Arsenal's first match of preseason will take place at the Singapore National Stadium against a Singapore Select XI.

To be clear, the fixture is not against a national team in the traditional sense. This XI is comprised of Singapore internationals with the addition of selected players from the domestic S.League. The 23-man squad that has been named includes four foreign participants.

The four foreign players are Argentinian striker Nicolas Velez (Warriors FC), Brazilian Rodrigo Tosi (Tampines), Frenchman Sirina Camara (Home United) and Japanese Kento Fukuda (Geylang International).

It will be a particularly special day for Velez, who grew up as an Arsenal fan. He spoke to the Straits Times about the surreal situation he will be facing: "It's going to be a bit strange playing against Arsenal because I really like Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez. But I will have to focus, try to help the team and repay coach Sundram [V. Sundramoorthy] for calling me up."

Velez was named as the S.League's Young Player of the Year last season, but it is not a strong league. Arsenal should have way too much for the local team in this fixture, and it should prove to be a fairly leisurely return to action for the Gunners.

After facing the team on July 15, the Gunners are then set to go up against them once again in the Asia Trophy semi-final just a few days later.

Everton or Stoke City, Asia Trophy Final, July 18

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If Arsenal reach the final of the Asia Trophy, they will find themselves facing off against Premier League opposition in the shape of either Everton or Stoke City.

Arsene Wenger would probably marginally prefer to come up against the Toffees. Not only does he have a better relationship with Roberto Martinez than his Stoke counterpart Mark Hughes, but he’ll probably be wary of playing a team as infamously physical in their approach as Stoke so early on in pre-season.

Everton fans will be looking forward to their reunion with Gerard Deulofeu, who has signed for the club permanently after completing a season on loan a couple of years ago. After a somewhat underwhelming campaign in 2014/15, the Toffees will have this marked as a crucial year for Martinez and the club.

Stoke, meanwhile, have made tremendous progress under Hughes and appear eager to do the same this summer.

According to David Anderson of the Mirror, they’ve already agreed a fee for Inter Milan midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri, which is a staggeringly ambitious move. Coming just 12 months after the capture of Bojan Krkic, it would be another indicator of the club’s remarkable growth into a major Premier League force.

Lyon, Emirates Cup, July 25

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Lyon were arguably the surprise success story of French football last season.

They finished in second place behind moneybags Paris Saint-Germain, re-establishing themselves as a continental force to be reckoned with. As a regular observer of French football, Arsene Wenger will be acutely aware of the threat they can pose.

Lyon have already added to their squad this summer after recruiting forward Claudio Beauvue. The new boy was in superb form for Ligue 1’s Guingamp last season after notching 17 league goals in 36 matches. Adding Beauvue to Ligue 1’s top scorer in 2014/15, Alexandre Lacazette, ensures Lyon will be a potent attacking force at the Emirates Cup.

Incredibly, the two teams have met just twice in the Champions League of 2001. They drew 1-1 at Highbury before Arsenal snatched an away win at the Stade de Garland with a goal from Thierry Henry.

In Lacazette, Lyon may have uncovered a successor to Henry in the French national setup. His speed and movement is sure to provide a stern test for Per Mertesacker and Laurent Kosicelny as they step up their preparations for 2015/16.

VfL Wolfsburg, Emirates Cup, July 26

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Last season, Wolfsburg reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League before being eliminated by Napoli.

Wolfsburg’s fortunes for next season will depend largely on what happens to Kevin De Bruyne. According to Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News, the Belgian midfielder is at the centre of a tug of war between two European superpowers for his services:

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The gloves are off in Manchester City’s battle to sign Kevin de Bruyne, with Paris St Germain telling the player’s agent that the are ready to make a firm offer.

The Belgium international midfielder’s representative Patrick de Koster is due to meet with Wolfsburg today to discuss a new contract offer.

But PSG, like City, had it conformed last week that they are no longer subject to financial fair play restrictions, and are gearing up for a major summer transfer spree.

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Wolfsburg's presence in London also means Arsenal will encounter a familiar face in the shape of Nicklas Bendtner. It will be fascinating to see what sort of reception the Danish striker gets on his return to north London.

In Lyon and Wolfsburg, Arsenal will come up against runners-up from two of Europe’s stronger leagues. That should make the Emirates Cup a worthwhile test for the Gunners.

Chelsea, Community Shield, August 2

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There may be a trophy on the line in the Community Shield, but Arsene Wenger will undoubtedly still treat the fixture as part of the Gunners’ preseason preparation. With the fixture list being shifted early to make room for Euro 2016, this match will form a crucial part of the fitness regime designed to get Arsenal in shape for the Premier League’s big kick-off.

It’s bound to be a strange day for Petr Cech, who will most likely play against his former club for the first time. Once he gets over the unfamiliarity of lining up against the team in blue, he’ll be determined to finish on the winning side. Securing a win would lay down a marker for Arsenal ahead of the new season.

It would be a major landmark for Wenger, who is still yet to beat Jose Mourinho. This game at Wembley is a fantastic chance to get that monkey off his back at long last.

If the Gunners are to defeat Chelsea, they’ll almost certainly have to do it without last season’s top goalscorer and Player of the Year, Alexis Sanchez. Having won the Copa America with Chile this summer, Alexis will be in need of a decent rest before returning to action. The Community Shield will surely come too soon for the dazzling dribbler.