Friendly against Juventus announced for 17 December

Arsenal will take on Serie A giants Juventus in a friendly on 17 December, a day before the World Cup final and nine days before the Premier League returns.

The players currently not in Qatar are enjoying their holidays but they’ll soon return to London Colney ahead of the Gunners’ trip to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp. Arsenal will also compete in the Dubai Super Cup while out in the Middle East; a non-competitive competition in which Mikel Arteta’s side will face Lyon and AC Milan.

The final phase of their preparations ahead of the Premier League’s return was revealed on Thursday as the club announced that we will welcome Juve to the Emirates on 17 December.

Friendly against Juventus announced for 17 December

Confirming the fixture, Arsenal wrote: “We’re pleased to announce our men’s first-team will play Juventus in a friendly match at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, December 17, kicking off at 6pm GMT.”

The Gunners will take on Lyon and Milan the week prior, and several squad members currently competing in the World Cup may join up with the squad if they’re dumped out of the tournament early.

“We’re looking forward to hosting Juventus at the Emirates,” added Arteta. “Our supporters have been magnificent this season. They’ve created such a strong connection with the team and it’ll be fantastic to rekindle that spirit before competitive action starts up again.

“Lyon, AC Milan and Juventus will provide strong opposition – it’ll be a great test for us ahead of the restart.”

The Bianconeri won their final six games before the World Cup break to climb up to third in Serie A after a poor start. They did, however, join Arsenal in the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group.

The two sides have met competitively just six times in history, with Arsenal winning three of the encounters. A 0-0 stalemate ensued during the last meeting 16 years ago.