Preview
Arsenal will take on Manchester City on Saturday, 10 August, in the last pre-season friendly before the new season starts. The game will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland and it will be the Gunners' first outing in the country.
"We have many passionate supporters in Finland, and it will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with them all in what will be our first-ever match in the country," Arsenal Chief executive Ivan Gazidis told the club's official website.
Manchester City are also looking forward to playing in the country.
"It is the perfect way to end our preparations before the 2013-14 campaign," City chief executive Ferran Soriano is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "We are looking forward to what should be a memorable occasion.'"
The game will give managers of the teams - Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini - the chance to assess their squad perform ahead of the new season.
Pre-Season Form
Pellegrini's City team have had a largely successful pre-season. They were victories in the Barclays Asia Trophy in July, beating Sunderland in the final. Their following game was an impressive 5-3 win against AC Milan in the Audi Cup semi-final. In the final of that tournament, they were defeated 2-1 by Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Although the result was disappointing, Pellegrini will be encouraged by their performance in the game.
Arsenal's pre-season results have been mixed. After winning three games comfortably in the club's Asian tour, the Gunners were disappointing in the Emirates Cup. They drew with Napoli 2-2 in the first game of the tournament and lost 2-1 to Galatasaray, who eventually lifted the trophy.
Team News
Manchester City will be without Matija Nastasic who sustained a knee injury in the game against Sunderland. The Serbian will be sidelined for up to six weeks, possibly prompting Pellegrini to sign another center back. On the bright side, the game could signal the return of Argentine striker Sergio Aguero, who has not played since the 5-3 victory against Chelsea on 25 May. The game gives Pellegrini the opportunity to showcase some of his new signings, in the process giving them a taste of Premier League football. In the pre-season, Fernandinho has prominently featured in the midfield. Montenegran forward Stevan Jovetic has been impressive so far and should play a big role the game.
Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, Wenger has no significant new signings to parade in this game. With Luis Suarez not being allowed to leave Liverpool, Wenger could start the season with the same squad as last year. Wenger's only purchase in the summer has been 20 year-old striker Yaya Sanogo. The club have also sold forward Gervinho to Roma, increasing the pressure on Wenger to bring in new attacking players. Promisingly for the club's supporters, French striker Olivier Giroud has been in good form, scoring seven goals in five pre-season games.
Where to Watch
Kick-off is at 7:30pm IST (Saturday, 10 August) and live coverage will be available on Sony Six.
