Arsenal vs Villarreal LIVE: Pre-season friendly match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction

Arsenal vs Villarreal LIVE: Pre-season friendly match stream, latest team news, lineups, TV, prediction

The Gunners are back in London for their penultimate pre-season outing

Arsenal vs Villarreal LIVE

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are back in familiar surroundings today as they face Villarreal at the Emirates in their penultimate pre-season friendly. The Gunners produced mixed results on their tour of East Asia earlier this summer, beating AC Milan and Newcastle before losing to Tottenham in the first north London derby ever played outside the UK.

They will look to get back to winning ways on home turf today, though. It is a significant game for a crop of new faces in the Gunners squad, as the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Christian Norgaard are all set to represent Arsenal in N5 for the first time. Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber are also expected to return to the fold for the match having recovered from injuries.

Villarreal make the trip up from Iberia without a win so far this summer, having shipped two losses and two draws in previous friendly outings. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Simon Collings at the Emirates.

Arsenal vs Villarreal latest news

Kick off: 6.00pm BST, Emirates Stadium

How to watch: Arsenal app and website

Arsenal starting XI

Villarreal starting XI

Standard Sport prediction

Live updates

Last time these sides met...

It was a goalless draw at the Emirates the last time Arsenal faced Villarreal in a competitive fixture. That was the second leg of the Europa League semi-final, and, after winning the first leg 2-1, it was the Spaniards who went through.

Among the starters for Arsenal were Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and one Nicolas Pepe, who now represents the Yellow Submarine.

Martin Odegaard, then on loan from Real Madrid, also started next to Bukayo Saka.

What to make of the Villarreal starting XI

Nicolas Pepe starts for Villarreal on return to the Emirates. He plied his trade for Arsenal between 2019 and 2023, but never quite lived up to his price tag.

Juan Foyth, formerly of Tottenham, also makes the XI, as does former Watford man Pape Gueye.

Former Newcastle and Leicester man Ayoze Perez could also be set to feature, but does not make the XI.

Villarreal starting XI

Here’s how the visitors shape up.

Villarreal confirmed starting XI: Junior R, Rafa Marin, Gerard, Foyth, Parejo, Mourino, Gueye, Pepe, Moleiro, Cardona, Etta Eyong

What to know about this Arsenal XI

Viktor Gyokeres makes his first Arsenal start after debuting with a brief cameo against Spurs last time out.

Noni Madueke, signed from Chelsea earlier this summer, makes the bench and could play his first Arsenal minutes this evening.

Gabriel and Jurrien Timber are both on the bench, having returned from injury lay-offs.

Arteta's programme notes

Mikel Arteta previews the tie in his programme notes:

“We know what we want from pre-season, which is why we have planned the schedule like this. First we played Watford at Sobha, then we went to Singapore to play against AC Milan and Newcastle, before facing Tottenham in Hong Kong. So we've been changing conditions, changing contexts, and now we are playing at home against two teams preparing to be in the Champions League this season.

“Villarreal are playing at the highest level, and they have a manager in Marcelino who likes to play a very specific type of system and formation that we will find in the Premier League this season. But also we are playing against Spanish opposition, so that will require other things from us as well, and I expect these to be really good games.

“I know it’s going to be the first opportunity for many of you to see our new players in action as well, and we are all very excited about how the squad is shaping up. They have all brought another enthusiasm again, and injected it into the squad. It’s shaken things up.

“These new arrivals all add quality and depth to the squad, which is what we’re going to need throughout the season ahead.”

Confirmed Arsenal XI

Gyokeres starts for the Gunners!

Arsenal starting XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Mosquera, Gabriel, Odegaard, Timber, Zinchenko, Madueke, Lokonga, Zubimendi, Rice, Dowman, Harriman-Annous

Arsenal squad confirmed

Arsenal predicted XI

We are expecting a crop of new Arsenal signings to play their first minutes at the Emirates this afternoon.

Arsenal predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Doubts: Calafiori, Gabriel, Timber and Trossard

Injured: Jesus (knee)

Villarreal's disaster summer

It has not been a promising pre-season campaign for Villarreal, who are yet to win a summer fixture.

Here are their results in full:

Villarreal 3-3 Basel

Villarreal 2-2 St Gallen

Villarreal 0-1 Sporting CP

Villarreal 0-1 Leeds United