Arsenal vs Como: A Preseason Test for Champions
Arsenal step up through the gears on Wednesday, and they do it against a familiar face.
With the World Cup finally loosening its grip on Mikel Arteta’s squad, the visit of Como to the Emirates is the moment preseason stops feeling like an extended academy showcase and starts to resemble the champions of England again. The opposition? A sharp, ambitious Serie A side built in the image of an Arsenal great.
Arsenal move from shadow boxing to real work
So far, judging Arsenal has been like squinting at a painting half-covered by a sheet. The 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday underlined the obvious: this has not been anything close to Arteta’s strongest XI. Midfield combinations have been makeshift, the back line patched together. William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are injured and set to miss the start of the season, and it has shown.
That changes this week.
Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi are all due back in training, while captain Martin Odegaard has only just rejoined the group. Their return shifts the mood. The Community Shield against Manchester City in Cardiff looms on Sunday; this clash with Como is no longer a gentle run-out, it’s the dress rehearsal before the curtain goes up.
The headline, of course, is Bruno Guimaraes. A $101 million midfielder does not arrive quietly. His signing is a declaration of intent from a club already at the summit of the Premier League, and there is a real chance the Emirates gets its first look at him in red and white on Wednesday. Even a brief cameo would be enough to ignite the crowd and give Arteta a first live glimpse of how his new conductor fits into the orchestra.
There have been positives amid the stumbles. New signing Christos Tzolis has lit up the left flank, direct and inventive, a winger who looks immediately at home driving at full backs. Yet the defeats to Real Betis and Dortmund have exposed defensive frailties that will not be tolerated once the real stuff starts. Arteta will not panic – he knows the depth and quality now returning to his training pitches – but he will demand a shift in intensity.
Como arrive at precisely the right time to test that.
Fabregas returns with a new force
On the opposite bench, a familiar figure. Cesc Fabregas, the former Arsenal captain who once carried this club on his slight shoulders, now stands as the architect of one of Italy’s most intriguing sides.
Under his guidance, Como delivered an extraordinary 2025-26 campaign: fourth in Serie A and a first-ever qualification for the UEFA Champions League. This is not a sentimental story of a legend dabbling in management; it is a serious project, built with clarity and bite. Fabregas has been assembling this side for several seasons, and they now sit among the elite in Italy’s top flight on merit.
They are not just stubborn. They are smart. Last season, Como conceded fewer goals than anyone in Serie A, a record that speaks to structure, organisation and relentless discipline without the ball. This is a team that enjoys defending, then springs forward with purpose.
There is quality everywhere you look. Trevoh Chalobah has just arrived from Chelsea to reinforce an already miserly back line. Up front, Alvaro Morata leads the attack, bringing experience at the highest level and a constant threat in the box. Around him, Nico Paz offers craft and incision, a key figure in the final third who gives Como the flair to match their steel.
Fabregas has shaped a side that reflects his footballing brain: controlled, brave in possession, but ruthless in the details. They will not come to London to admire the stadium.
A friendly in name, a test in reality
Kick-off at the Emirates is set for 2:30pm ET on Wednesday, with the match streamed on Arsenal’s YouTube channel. On paper, it is a preseason fixture. In reality, it is a sharp, tactical examination for a squad about to defend a Premier League title and chase more.
For Arsenal, the key question is rhythm. How quickly can the returning internationals slot back in? How ready are they to jump from holiday mode into the controlled chaos that Manchester City always bring? The visit of a Champions League-bound, defensively elite Como side is a far better tune-up than a routine exhibition.
The pressure is subtle but real. Arteta has more depth than at any point in his tenure. Guimaraes, Zubimendi, Merino, Rice, Odegaard – that is a midfield stable built to dominate Europe, not just England. Yet with Saliba and Timber sidelined, the back line remains under scrutiny, and every minute on Wednesday will be a chance for fringe defenders to stake a claim before reinforcements fully settle.
Across the technical area, Fabregas will measure his own progress. Como are about to step into the Champions League for the first time in their history. How they cope with a high-tempo, possession-hungry side like Arsenal will offer a glimpse of whether they are ready for the nights to come.
It is only preseason, but it carries the feel of something more. One club sharpening its title defence, another testing the weight of its new status among Europe’s elite. At the Emirates, under the eye of a former hero, Arsenal will discover whether this revamped squad is as formidable on the pitch as it looks on paper.
