Arsenal Face Como: Everything You Need to Know Before Kickoff

Arsenal's last preseason fixture before the FA Community Shield sees the Gunners take on Cesc Fàbregas's Como, a side gearing up for their debut Champions League campaign this season.

The Como manager holds iconic status in modern Arsenal history, though he did considerable damage to his standing with the fanbase by moving to Chelsea in 2014, having previously departed the Gunners to rejoin his hometown club Barcelona back in 2011.

His welcome at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday could be a cold one, despite the fact that his perceived act of betrayal took place well over a decade ago.

The Spaniard's side faces a tremendously exciting season ahead, and the upcoming friendly was organized with their inaugural Champions League run in mind. Arsenal were runners-up earlier this year and currently hold the Premier League title.

The Gunners, however, have had a mixed preseason to date, dropping consecutive matches. After comfortably defeating Girona to open their summer schedule, Arsenal fell 3–1 to Real Betis in Dublin and 3–2 to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup over the weekend.

Arsenal vs. Como Score Prediction

Gunners Shake Off Back-to-Back Defeats

While Arsenal were unusually careless and rightfully beaten by Betis, fans weren't overly troubled by the manner of their loss to Dortmund. That said, they do appear to be leaking goals with alarming regularity this summer.

Mikel Arteta should have nearly a full squad at his disposal for Wednesday's friendly, and the Arsenal manager must be looking forward to his first tactical encounter with Fàbregas. The two never overlapped as players in north London, as Arteta arrived just a month after Fàbregas departed for Barcelona.

Both are flourishing in their respective managerial debuts. Arteta is further down the road, with his project reaching its peak with Premier League success last season. The Gunners now aim to establish a period of sustained dominance.

Como, meanwhile, continue to rise under Fàbregas's guidance. The potential is limitless beside the famous lake, with the Spaniard's forward-thinking philosophy working in perfect harmony with an ambitious club that has cleverly assembled a collection of young, hungry players well-suited to the manager's system.

Much like Arsenal, Como's identity is built around their manager, and their first head-to-head encounter promises to be a fascinating watch.

Prediction: Arsenal 2–1 Como

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Como

The final members of Arsenal's World Cup contingent have returned to preseason training, and fans will be eager to see new signing Bruno Guimarães in action on Wednesday. The Brazilian was introduced to the Emirates crowd over the weekend and should be ready to log his first minutes in an Arsenal shirt here.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and David Raya have all returned from their respective breaks, and Arteta will be looking to reintegrate the three ahead of the Community Shield.

William Saliba is sidelined for an extended spell with a back problem, while Jurriën Timber remains a long way from returning to competitive action due to an ankle injury.

Young prospect Louis Copley suffered an ACL tear during Arsenal's preseason loss to Real Betis in Dublin and is expected to miss the majority of the 2026–27 season as a result.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Como (4-3-3): Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimarães, Lewis-Skelly, Ødegaard; Dowman, Gyökeres, Tzolis.

Como Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal

Como have been based in England since the beginning of the week, and their two most recent signings could both make their debuts at the Emirates, including one player the home supporters will know well.

Trevoh Chalobah has finalized his transfer from Chelsea, with the move confirmed on Aug. 9. Although the defender was eventually included in England's World Cup squad and took a post-tournament break, Chalobah should be fit to make his first appearance for Como.

Yan Couto has also joined the club on a season-long loan.

Key player Nico Paz has not made the trip to London, but Fàbregas can call upon the likes of Maxence Caqueret, Máximo Perrone, Assane Diao, and Anastasios Douvikas.

Como predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Butez; Smolčić, Ramón, Chalobah, Kaiki; Perrone, Lahdo; Diao, Caqueret, Liberali; Douvikas.

What Time Does Arsenal vs. Como Kick Off?

How to Watch Arsenal vs. Como on TV, Live Stream