Arsenal Preseason Test Against Como: Key Players Return

Arsenal step back into something closer to reality on Wednesday. The World Cup hangover is finally lifting, the big names are trickling back through the doors at London Colney, and Mikel Arteta’s preseason is about to move from shadow work to something far more serious.

Como, of all teams, arrive as the perfect measuring stick.

Arsenal move out of second gear

So far, judging Arsenal has felt like trying to read a book with half the pages missing. The 3-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday underlined it: too many absentees, too many makeshift solutions, especially in midfield and at the back.

That is about to change.

The $101 million signing of Bruno Guimaraes has already altered the mood. The Brazilian’s arrival is a statement, and there is every chance supporters get their first glimpse of him in an Arsenal shirt at the Emirates on Wednesday. Even a brief cameo would be enough to jolt this preseason into life.

Around him, the cavalry returns. Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi are all due back in training this week. Martin Odegaard, the heartbeat of this side and captain of the reigning Premier League champions, has only just rejoined the group himself.

Arteta has been forced to live without that core. The result? Defeats to Real Betis and Dortmund, defensive cracks exposed, and a back line stretched further by injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, both set to miss the start of the season.

He will not be losing sleep yet. He knows what is coming back.

On the left wing, new signing Christos Tzolis has already provided a spark, direct and fearless, hinting at a role that could grow quickly once the season starts. Drop Guimaraes into a midfield that will soon include Rice, Merino and Zubimendi, and suddenly those early-summer frailties look more like a temporary inconvenience than a structural concern.

All of that makes this fixture more than just another preseason date. With the Community Shield against Manchester City looming in Cardiff on Sunday, Arsenal need rhythm, cohesion and answers. Como arrive at exactly the right time to ask the right questions.

Fabregas’ Como come of age

On the other bench, there will be a familiar face with a very different job title.

Cesc Fabregas returns to the Emirates not as the prodigious midfielder who once dictated Arsenal’s tempo, but as the architect of one of Serie A’s most compelling recent stories. Under his guidance, Como produced an outstanding 2025-26 campaign, finishing fourth in Italy and booking a first-ever place in the UEFA Champions League.

That is not a fluke. Fabregas has been quietly building this project over the last few years, layering structure, personality and ambition into a club that used to exist well outside the European elite. Now they are muscling into the conversation.

Defensively, Como were the stingiest side in Serie A last season, conceding fewer goals than anyone else in the division. They are drilled, disciplined and hard to break down, but they are not just spoilers. They are enjoyable to watch, too.

Trevoh Chalobah has just arrived from Chelsea to bolster that already miserly back line. Up front, Alvaro Morata leads the attack, with Nico Paz offering craft and threat around him. This is not a novelty act turning up for a day out in north London. This is a Champions League team, built by an Arsenal legend, eager to test themselves against the Premier League holders in their own stadium.

The emotional subplots are obvious. The tactical ones might be even more intriguing.

A different kind of preseason test

Preseason friendlies often drift. This one shouldn’t.

Arsenal need to sharpen up defensively, to tighten the spaces that Betis and Dortmund exploited. Como, with their structure and patience, will punish any sloppiness in possession and relish the chance to frustrate an Arsenal side still piecing itself together.

At the same time, the Gunners’ depth is finally about to show. As minutes build in the legs of Rice, Saka, Odegaard and the rest, Arteta can start to move from improvisation to something closer to his true starting blueprint.

The kick-off time is set: 2:30pm ET on Wednesday, under the Emirates lights, broadcast on Arsenal’s YouTube channel. It will still be tagged as a friendly. It will not feel like one for long.

Arsenal vs Como is, on paper, a preseason run-out. In reality, it is a snapshot of two projects at fascinating stages: one defending a Premier League crown and arming itself with a $101 million midfielder, the other crashing the Champions League party under a former hero in the away dugout.

For Arsenal, the question is simple: with the stars returning and Manchester City waiting in Cardiff, how quickly can a champion’s edge return?