ARSENAL will fly out to America in July as part of their pre-season plans and face Chelsea in Orlando.
The Gunners, who pulled out of featuring in the Florida Cup last year following a Covid-19 outbreak in their camp, will place twice within three days.
In a statement released by the club, Arsenal will pit their wits against MLS outfit Orlando City on July 20 at the Exploria Stadium.
They will then pit their wits against London rivals Chelsea in a pre-season friendly on July 23 for the season year running.
The two teams will challenge for the Florida Cup at Camping World Stadium, which is a candidate to host games during the 2026 World Cup.
Mikel Arteta has spoken of his excitement at Arsenal to travel to the United States for the first time since their tour in 2019.
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Arsenal, who were then manged by Unai Emery, faced the likes of Colorado City, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina and Real Madrid three years ago.
Commenting on the tour, Arteta said: "We’re very pleased to see our pre-season plans taking shape with the announcement of our trip to the United States to take part in the FC Series.
"It’s been a long time since we’ve seen our fans in the US and we’re looking forward to playing in front of them.
"We’ll be playing some good sides that will provide strong opposition and the training and matchday facilities in Orlando will provide a first-class environment for our preparations for next season.”
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Technical director Edu added: "The FC Series, together with our Orlando training camp, will provide Mikel and the squad with an excellent level of preparation as we focus on next season.
"We look forward to confirming further plans for our pre-season very soon.”
Orlando City's president of business operations Jarrod Dillon has declared the match-up between the clubs will be a great experience for fans.
He told Orlando's website: "We’re excited to be able to provide our fans and the greater Orlando soccer community the opportunity to experience one of the world’s most iconic clubs, Arsenal, right here in the best soccer venue in America, Exploria Stadium.
"Not only will the friendly be a phenomenal experience for our fans, but we are excited to see our Lions take the field against a top international opponent.
"This is going to be a match that no one will want to miss.”
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