Arsenal will warm up for the 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a pre-season trip to Dublin. Mikel Arteta’s side will make the short trip to Ireland’s capital on Wednesday, August 5, where they’ll take on La Liga side Real Betis at the Aviva Stadium.
The fixture will mark Arsenal’s first visit to Ireland since 2020; Dundalk were the opposition for a Europa League tie in that year, which was played without supporters, incidentally, during the pandemic era. The club also played against London rivals Chelsea in a pre-season friendly at the Aviva Stadium in 2018.
Remarkably, the fixture with Real Betis will be played just sixteen days after the World Cup Final. It remains to be seen if any Arsenal players will feature, of course.
However, Mikel Arteta will hope to have the majority of his squad available for the match in Dublin, as the Gunners lay the foundations for their title defence, which begins on August 21 at home to newly promoted Coventry City.
The Sky Blues will undoubtedly arrive in North London in good spirits after strolling to the EFL Championship title last season, but it’s unlikely that many Irish bookmaker free bets will be placed on Frank Lampard’s side to cause an upset, with Arsenal fully expected to open their account with three points.
Pre-Season Schedule Starting to Take Shape
Mikel Arteta will be focused on putting his side through their paces in the best way possible before then, though. Arteta could face fellow Spaniard and former Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas and his Como side, as well as Borussia Dortmund, with the two Champions League clubs identified as potential opponents for Arsenal’s annual Emirates Cup pre-season tournament.
The potential friendlies against Como and Dortmund are expected to precede the 2026 Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City on August 16.
This year, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will host the season’s traditional curtain raiser between the Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners. The match will take place in the Welsh capital for the first time since 2006 because Wembley is already hosting another event.
Boreham Wood Fixture to Kick Off Pre-Season
As is tradition, the Gunners will begin preparations for the new season by taking on National League outfit, Boreham Wood. The match, confirmed for Friday, July 17, will feature an Arsenal XI made up largely of youth players, with much of the senior team either at the World Cup, travelling back or on holiday after featuring in the competition.
However, the Arsenal XI could still feature Max Dowman and returning loanee, Ethan Nwaneri, both of whom will be looking to catch the eye of boss Mikel Arteta ahead of the new campaign.
The Gunners play Boreham Wood every pre-season as part of an ongoing partnership between the clubs, which sees Boreham Wood share their home ground, Meadow Park, with Arsenal’s Under-21s and, on occasions, Arsenal Women.
Arsenal Pre-Season Fixtures
Friday 17th July: Boreham Wood vs Arsenal XI – Meadow Park
Wednesday 5th August: Arsenal vs Real Betis – Aviva Stadium
Saturday 9th August: Arsenal vs Dortmund/Como – Emirates Stadium (unconfirmed)
Wednesday 12th August: Arsenal vs Dortmund/Como – Emirates Stadium (unconfirmed)
Sunday 16th August: Arsenal vs Manchester City – Principality Stadium