The Gunners face a mouth-watering pre-season friendly in Los Angeles tonight as they take on the Catalan giants in their fourth summer test. Arsenal were beaten twice by Manchester United last time out – both in normal time and via a penalty shootout – but Mikel Arteta will not be concerned despite another huge transfer outlay.
Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, bought for a combined £170million, have been quiet in their early outings but tonight face a Barcelona side who are embarking on their first run-out of the summer and have been hit by an illness in the squad. Ilkay Gundogan will be looking to play his first minutes since signing and Oriol Romeu could make a second debut for the club.
Will Arsenal record a rare win over Barcelona? For Arteta it would be a statement result, against a former club, ahead of what is expected to be a massive season in north London. Follow the huge friendly live below via our dedicated match blog, covering every moment from the SoFi Stadium friendly.
Live updates
Score prediction
The Blaugrana’s virus issues have knocked back their preparations and the Gunners should be able to capitalise against a team with less miles in the tank.
Arsenal to win, 3-1.
Barcelona team news
Barcelona’s preparations for tonight have been disrupted with part of the squad being affected by viral gastroenteritis.
It has meant the club’s three summer signings have had to wait for their debuts, though Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu should be involved tonight.
Both have Premier League experience of course, and should be joined by the likes of former Chelsea pair Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso, plus former Leeds forward Raphinha.
Arsenal team news
Arsenal are waiting on the extent of a possible injury to Leandro Trossard ahead of tonight’s game.
Trossard last week picked up a knock during Arsenal’s 5-0 win over an MLS All Stars, being withdrawn after 56 minutes and subsequently missing the loss to Manchester United.
Oleksandr Zinchenko, meanwhile, has been sidelined since picking up a calf injury during last season’s run-in. The versatile defender returned to training on Monday, undergoing individual work as he slowly works his way back up to full fitness.
The Ukrainian hopes to be fit for the start of the Premier League season in just over two weeks’ time, so will not be risked against the LaLiga champions.
Where to watch Arsenal vs Barcelona
TV channel and live stream: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Arsenal’s official media channel.
A biggie in LA
Arsenal and Barcelona face off tonight in Los Angeles in a hugely intriguing pre-season friendly.
The Gunners lost to Manchester United last time out but will look for a statement victory against manager Mikel Arteta’s former side as the Premier League season draws ever nearer.
Kick-off across the pond is at 3.30am BST and we will have live coverage of the whole match, so stick with us.
