Information fans might want to know before Arsenal play Nurnberg
Arsenal are gearing up for their pre-season campaign as they prepare to face Bundesliga 2 side FC Nürnberg in a friendly match. The two teams met during pre-season last year, with Arsenal emerging as 5-3 victors after a thrilling comeback.
Despite finishing the league season strongly with a 5-0 win over Wolves, the Gunners’ only match since then was a 1-1 draw against Watford in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
Nürnberg, on the other hand, have had a busy schedule recently, playing four games in the last 12 days and scoring an impressive total of 19 goals. They narrowly avoided relegation last season and will be looking to build on their performances.
In terms of team news, Arsenal have traveled to Germany with a 30-man squad consisting of first-team players and promising youngsters.
However, Emile Smith Rowe and Nuno Tavares are still on their off-season holidays after participating in the U21 European Championships. Matt Turner is also unavailable as he is on international duty with the USMNT in the Gold Cup. New signing Kai Havertz has joined the squad and is set to make his debut for Arsenal.
While the match might come too soon for the London outfit’s new arrivals, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. But they wil certainly hope to adapt to Mikel Arteta’s philosophy during the team’s US tour.
FC Nürnberg will be without defenders Christopher Schindler and Erik Wekesser due to cruciate ligament injuries. Jannes Horn and Taylan Duman are also sidelined with hip and hamstring injuries respectively.
Both teams are expected to field a mix of regular starters and younger players. Arsenal’s lineup may include the likes of Folarin Balogun, and Reiss Nelson, and youngsters such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who have developed a lot in the past few years. Reuell Walters is another name that can play a good number of minutes.
While the German side will likely opt for a stronger lineup as they approach the restart of their league.
The match can be watched through the Arsenal website by purchasing a pre-season match pass or on Servus TV for German fans.
This friendly provides an opportunity for both teams to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the upcoming season.
Arsenal will be looking to build chemistry among their players and give promising youngsters valuable playing time. Nürnberg, on the other hand, will be aiming to assess their squad and continue their positive run of form in pre-season.
Writer – Yash Bisht