Arsenal vs Como: Preseason Clash with Cesc Fabregas
Arsenal step up a stop-start preseason on Wednesday with a fixture that carries far more intrigue than a standard summer run-out: Cesc Fabregas brings his rising Como side to the Emirates.
On paper, it’s a friendly. In reality, it’s a stress test.
Arsenal crank the dial before City showdown
Mikel Arteta has spent most of the summer juggling absences. The 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday underlined how thin things have been, especially through the middle of the pitch and at the back. With so many key men still on their World Cup break, judging Arsenal has felt like trying to read a book with half the pages missing.
That changes this week.
Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi are all scheduled to rejoin training over the coming days. Captain Martin Odegaard has only just reported back to the reigning Premier League champions. The squad that strolls out against Como will look a lot more like Arsenal, even if several stars are eased in from the bench.
One arrival has already shifted the mood. The $101 million signing of Bruno Guimaraes is not a subtle move. It’s a declaration. The Brazilian’s presence alone raises the technical floor of Arsenal’s midfield, and even limited minutes against Como would give supporters a first glimpse of how Arteta plans to rewire the engine room.
There are still problems. William Saliba and Jurrien Timber are injured and expected to miss the start of the season, and the defeats to Real Betis and Dortmund have exposed defensive gaps that no coach wants to see, even in July and August. Arteta, though, has little interest in panic. He knows the depth he has coming back through the door.
He also has a wildcard. New signing Christos Tzolis has caught the eye on the left, direct and fearless, the kind of winger who makes preseason feel worthwhile. Alongside Guimaraes, he offers something fresh in a squad that already knows how to win.
With the Community Shield against Manchester City looming in Cardiff on Sunday, the tempo has to rise. Como, of all teams, are well placed to make sure it does.
Fabregas brings his project to the Emirates
Cesc Fabregas returns to north London not as a metronomic midfielder but as the architect of one of Europe’s most intriguing projects.
Como’s 2025-26 campaign was nothing short of remarkable. Under Fabregas, they finished fourth in Serie A and booked a first-ever place in the UEFA Champions League. This is not a romantic story propped up by sentiment; it’s a hard-edged, well-coached side muscling in on Italy’s elite.
Fabregas has been building towards this for a few years, layer by layer. The result is a team that conceded the fewest goals in Serie A last season yet still entertains. They’re disciplined without being dull, structured without losing imagination.
The recruitment backs that up. Trevoh Chalobah has just arrived from Chelsea to bolster an already miserly back line. Up front, Alvaro Morata leads the attack, bringing experience and movement, while Nico Paz adds creativity and incision in the final third. This is not a soft touch opponent parachuted in to give Arsenal a confidence boost; it’s a Champions League qualifier with something to prove.
For Fabregas, the setting adds an extra charge. The Emirates is a stadium that once sang his name. Now he arrives in the away dugout, trying to outthink a manager he knows well, with a team that mirrors some of the control and bravery he once brought to Arsenal’s midfield.
Team news and the real stakes
Arteta’s selection will be shaped by conditioning as much as tactics. With so many internationals only just back, and Saliba and Timber sidelined, the XI is likely to be a blend of returning stars, established squad players and youngsters still fighting for minutes when the real games begin.
The defensive wobble in preseason is no secret. Betis and Dortmund both found joy against an Arsenal back line missing its usual anchors. Como, with Morata’s movement and Paz’s invention, are equipped to ask similar questions. That might be exactly what Arteta wants: pressure, mistakes, and the chance to correct them before Manchester City arrive on Sunday.
On the other side, Fabregas will relish testing his side against Premier League champions in their own stadium. Como’s identity is built on defensive resilience and compact structure. They will not come to London just to chase the ball and take photos.
Arsenal vs Como: a friendly with an edge
Strip away the label and this looks like a useful barometer for both clubs.
For Arsenal, it’s a chance to accelerate sharpness, drip-feed their returning internationals, and start bedding in Guimaraes and Tzolis in front of their own fans. For Como, it’s a stage to show that last season’s surge in Serie A wasn’t a one-off and that their Champions League debut will be more than a sightseeing tour.
Kickoff is 2:30pm ET on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium, with coverage on Arsenal’s YouTube channel.
Prediction? Arsenal should have enough, especially if even a portion of their big names get minutes. But if their defensive frailties linger and Como defend as they did in Italy last season, this could be far tighter than a routine preseason script.
In a week that ends against Manchester City in Cardiff, Arsenal will learn plenty about themselves. So will Cesc Fabregas.
