Last update at 12 August, 2026 ⏲️ Reading time: 5 minutes
Club Friendly @ 12.08.2026
Arsenal complete their pre-season schedule against Como at the Emirates on Wednesday night, with Mikel Arteta’s side only four days away from the Community Shield against Manchester City. Como are a much stronger test than their name might once have suggested: Cesc Fàbregas guided them to fourth in Serie A last season and a first Champions League qualification. What interests me most from a betting perspective is the contrast between Arsenal’s attacking threat and their unusually vulnerable defence. Both sides have consistently scored during the summer, so I’m looking towards goals rather than relying solely on a short-priced Arsenal victory.
Arsenal vs Como date, kick-off time and match details
Information | Detail |
|---|---|
Fixture | Arsenal vs Como 1907 |
Competition | Club Friendly |
Date | Wednesday, 12 August 2026 |
Kick-off | 7:30pm BST |
Venue | Emirates Stadium, London |
Format | 90 minutes |
Where to watch in the UK | Arsenal’s official YouTube channel, free |
The fixture and kick-off time are confirmed by both clubs, while Arsenal have announced that the match can be watched free on their official YouTube channel in the UK.
How Arsenal and Como are shaping up
Arsenal form
Arsenal’s results have been patchy, but I think the scorelines are slightly more worrying than the overall performances. They began with a comfortable 4-1 win at Girona before losing 3-1 against Real Betis and 3-2 at home to Borussia Dortmund. Against Dortmund, Arsenal created enough to score more: Viktor Gyökeres hit the bar before eventually converting a penalty, while Ethan Nwaneri and Christos Tzolis again looked lively. Arteta himself highlighted positive attacking combinations but admitted that the defending, particularly around set pieces and defensive timings, was below their usual standard.
The bigger issue for this bet is personnel. William Saliba and Jurriën Timber are sidelined, weakening a defence that has already conceded six goals across its last two friendlies. On the positive side, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and David Raya have returned to training, while new signing Bruno Guimarães could make his first appearance. With Manchester City awaiting on Sunday, though, I expect plenty of substitutions rather than anything resembling a settled competitive XI.
Como form
I’ve liked what the numbers are showing from Como this summer. Fàbregas’ side drew 2-2 with Paris FC, beat Al-Ula 3-1 in the shortened Como Cup format, drew 1-1 with Villarreal before losing the shootout, and then beat Famalicão 3-2. Their 2025/26 league campaign also deserves respect: they finished fourth in Serie A after conceding just 29 goals across 38 matches.
What changes the equation here is that pre-season Como have been far less conservative defensively. They have scored in every warm-up match but have yet to keep a clean sheet. Anastasios Douvikas has been particularly dangerous, scoring twice against Famalicão, while Assane Diao and Mattia Liberali give Fàbregas plenty of quality between the lines. Como have also added Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea, although integrating a new centre-back immediately is another reason I would not expect their defensive organisation to be completely settled at the Emirates.
Key factors behind my Arsenal vs Como prediction
1. Both attacks are further ahead than the defences
Arsenal’s last five matches have all seen both teams score, including pre-season scorelines of 4-1, 1-3 and 2-3. Como have also scored and conceded in each of their last five outings. For a friendly in which both managers will make substitutions, that immediately pushes me towards BTTS.
2. Arsenal are missing two important defenders
Saliba and Timber are significant absences. Arsenal are still capable of controlling possession without them, but their defensive relationships have been much less reliable this summer. Arteta specifically criticised aspects of the defending after Dortmund, and I do not think a clean sheet should be priced as the most likely outcome here.
3. Como should not be treated as ordinary friendly opposition
This is a side that finished fourth in Serie A, recorded 19 league clean sheets before their final match and conceded only 29 league goals all season. Fàbregas has built an organised possession team rather than one that simply sits deep against stronger opposition. I expect Como to try to play through Arsenal rather than spend 90 minutes protecting their box.
4. Arsenal’s rotation increases the volatility
Arsenal played Dortmund on Sunday and face Manchester City in Cardiff on Sunday, giving this fixture an awkward position in the schedule. Several World Cup internationals have only recently returned to training. Como, meanwhile, have had considerably more recovery time since their 3-2 victory over Famalicão on 31 July. In my view, that makes an open second half particularly plausible once Arteta starts changing his side.
5. I prefer the goals prices to Arsenal at around 1.45
The representative 1X2 market has Arsenal around 1.45, the draw at 4.50 and Como at 5.50. I agree that Arsenal deserve to be favourites, but 1.45 gives me very little protection against heavy rotation or another loose defensive performance. The goals markets offer a better way of expressing how I think the match will actually unfold.
Arsenal vs Como statistics
Statistic | Arsenal | Como |
|---|---|---|
Last five overall | 2W-1D-2L | 3W-2D* |
Goals scored, last five | 10 | 13* |
Goals conceded, last five | 9 | 7* |
BTTS, last five | 5/5 | 5/5 |
Over 2.5 goals, last five | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Clean sheets, last five | 0 | 0 |
2025/26 league finish | 1st, Premier League | 4th, Serie A |
Last pre-season result | Arsenal 2-3 Dortmund | Como 3-2 Famalicão |
Rest since previous friendly | 3 days | 12 days |
*Como’s recent five include two 45-minute Como Cup group matches, so their raw goals data should not be compared directly with five conventional 90-minute fixtures. The results themselves are still useful for identifying the BTTS trend.
Arsenal vs Como head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between Arsenal and Como, so there is no relevant head-to-head history to factor into the betting analysis.