Match analysis
Arsenal Open Pre-Season Against Girona: What I’m Watching For
Arsenal begin the 2026/27 pre-season campaign tomorrow evening, travelling to Estadi Montilivi to face Girona in the first of four public warm-up fixtures before the Community Shield clash with Manchester City on August 16. Kick-off is at 7pm UK time (8pm local), with the match contested for the 49th Costa Brava Trophy.
This is Arteta’s first look at the squad in front of a crowd since a historic season that finally ended Arsenal’s 22-year wait for the Premier League title, alongside runs to the EFL Cup and Champions League finals. I’m treating this as an early read on where the rebuild stands, not a results night.
What I already know going in:
The squad has been busy behind closed doors. A 3-0 win over MK Dons at the Sobha Realty Training Centre gave early goals to Reiss Nelson, Ethan Nwaneri, and academy forward Ceadach O’Neill, which tells me Arteta is still trusting the fringe and academy players to make a case for themselves.
On the squad side, there’s real movement. Leandro Trossard has completed his £17.1m move to Besiktas, and Arsenal moved fast to replace him, bringing in Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for a Belgian Pro League record £34m. The 24-year-old Greek international put up huge numbers last season, 22 goals and 29 assists in 52 appearances, and Berta has described him as comfortable across the front line despite naturally operating on the left. This is the signing I most want to see minutes from tomorrow.
Elsewhere, Kepa’s future remains unresolved and Illan Meslier has joined on a free from Leeds as backup goalkeeper.
What I’m looking for tomorrow:
- Tzolis’s full debut and how he links up with the front line
- Minutes and positioning for Nwaneri, given his goal against MK Dons
- Any early sighting of Meslier between the sticks
- General fitness and sharpness after a summer following three cup finals
There’s history at Montilivi too. Arsenal won 2-1 there in the Champions League back in January 2025, so there’s a bit of familiarity with the ground even if the stakes are nothing alike this time.
I’ll have thoughts up after full time. Betis in Dublin on August 5 is next, then presumably Dortmund and Como before the Community Shield.
