Arsenal and Bayern Munich face the toughest test of their preparations for the new campaign yet as they face off in the USA to kick-start a stacked and hectic warm-up schedule.
The Gunners and the Bundesliga champions will square up at Dignity Health Sports Park, the home of the LA Galaxy, in their first match of the 2019 International Champions Cup.
Unai Emery's side came through their first fixture in America on Monday in good form against the Colorado Rapids, despite the ongoing saga of captain Laurent Koscielny's refusal to play as he attempts to force a move away from the Emirates Stadium.
Bayern meanwhile could very well blood their one of their new superstar signings, French World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard, following his arrival at the Allianz Arena, though international team-mate Lucas Hernandez has remained behind to continue his recovery from surgery.
| Game | Arsenal vs Bayern Munich |
| Date | Thursday, July 18 / Wednesday, July 17 |
| Time | 4am BST / 11pm ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!
In the US, the match can be watched live on ESPN2 and will be streamed on ESPN Deportes+.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN2 | ESPN Deportes+ |
In the UK, the match will be shown on Premier Sports 1 and livestreamed on Premier Sports HD.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | Premier Sports HD |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Leno, Martinez, Macey |
| Defenders | Bellerin, Jenkinson, Chambers, Sokratis, Mustafi, Holding, Mavropanos, Medley, Monreal, Kolasinac, Thompson, Maitland-Niles |
| Midfielders | Xhaka, Burton, Olayinka, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Nelson, Smith Rowe |
| Forwards | Martinelli, Saka, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Nketiah, John-Jules |
Major names aside from Koscielny to be missing for Arsenal include Alex Iwobi and Mohamed Elneny, both of whom are on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Otherwise, Unai Emery has brought a blend of strength, experience and youth as he looks to lead the Gunners to victory.
| Position | Bayern Munich squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Neuer, Ulreich |
| Defenders | Kimmich, Pavard, Sule, Boateng, Alaba |
| Midfielders | Thiago, Goretzka, Martinez, Sanches, Tolisso, Davies |
| Forwards | Arp, Gnabry, Coman, Lewandowski, Muller |
New signing Lucas Hernandez is, as mentioned, the major absentee for Niko Kovac's side, following knee surgery, but the former Frankfurt boss has otherwise named a strong squad.
Alphonso Davies, who was not originally included in the travelling party, has reversed his decision to sit out the tour following Gold Cup duty with Canada, and will link up with the rest of his team-mates in California.
Match Preview
Getty Images
With their pre-season campaign up and running with a convincing victory against the Colorado Rapids, Arsenal will face a much sterner test when they clash with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in their first game of the 2019 International Champions Cup.
The Gunners, who have seen their preparations become embroiled in turmoil following captain Laurent Koscielny's decision to boycott their tour of the USA as he attempts to push through an exit from the Emirates Stadium, ran out 3-0 winners in a friendly encounter at Dick's Sporting Goods Park earlier this week.
Unai Emery will hope to put the issues back in London behind his squad over the next week as they criss-cross North America to face Fiorentina in North Carolina and Real Madrid in Washington D.C.
First up however is arguably the biggest threat of the three, with Niko Kovac's side running hot after a domestic double in Germany last season.
The Bavarian giants were slow to start in 2018-19 and their manager, the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, was continuously linked with an early exit from the Allianz Arena.
He subsequently delivered the goods however, and with the addition of French World Cup-winning pair Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, has set around bolstering an already fearsome side.
Arsenal meanwhile are arguably yet to get seriously started on the recruitment front, save for the arrival of Gabriel Martinelli - and with deals for Celtic's Kieran Tierney and Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha still very much in the air, a strong showing from their current crop would go some way to assuaging the fears of fans hoping for a stronger season, despite last year's excellent Europa League exploits.
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