In a fascinating duel between two former Premier League midfield maestros, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will go head to head with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in a pre-season friendly clash at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Gunners recently completed their USA tour with a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, while Bundesliga champions Leverkusen settled for a 2-2 draw against Lens in their last outing.
Kai Havertz managed to score a goal just before half-time for Leverkusen, but Liverpool’s solid defense held strong in the second half to secure the win. Despite Arsenal’s efforts, they were unable to find the back of the net and fell to defeat at Lincoln Financial Field.
This loss marked Arsenal’s first defeat in what has otherwise been a positive pre-season campaign. The team secured victories over Preston North End and Manchester United, with a draw against Bournemouth followed by a penalty shootout victory.
Returning to their home base in North London, Arsenal will participate in their penultimate pre-season match against Leverkusen, with Lyon lined up as their opponents for the upcoming Emirates Cup on August 11.
Xabi Alonso, who once battled against Arteta in Merseyside derbies nearly two decades ago, now returns to England as Leverkusen’s head coach. With Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles under his belt, Alonso looks to replicate the success of Arsenal’s legendary Invincibles squad from the 2003-04 season.
Leverkusen recently secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen before being held to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Lens. They will face Real Betis in their final friendly match just three days after the Arsenal showdown.
The encounter between Arsenal and Leverkusen is a rare occurrence, with only two competitive meetings between the clubs in the past. These matches took place during the 2001-02 Champions League second group stage, where Arsenal emerged victorious with a 4-1 win at Highbury following a 1-1 draw in Germany.
It will be a fascinating battle of tactics and skills as Arteta and Alonso lead their respective teams into this pre-season showdown at the Emirates Stadium.
