In what has already been a busy few weeks of football, with Chelsea winning the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, their London rivals Arsenal are about to get their 2025/26 campaign underway with a pre-season friendly against Italian giants AC Milan in Singapore.
The Gunners have enjoyed a busy summer off the pitch, with Mikel Arteta able to bring in the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke, whilst they continue to work on deals for Cristhian Mosquera and Viktor Gyokeres.
Their first friendly of the summer is against an AC Milan side who are also undergoing some major work, with Massimiliano Allegri returning to San Siro to try and restore the seven-time European champions back towards the top end of Italian football.
These two teams meet at the National Stadium in Singapore, which will also host Arsenal’s clash with Premier League rivals Newcastle United in a few days’ time for what is being called the Singapore Festival of Football.
Will Arsenal start pre-season with a bang? Here's our predictions, tips and bet builder suggestions.
Arsenal vs. AC Milan pre-season friendly prediction
Arsenal are expected to continue on their upward trajectory this term and are given a near 53% chance of winning, priced up at 4/7 to defeat the Rossoneri with Sky Bet.
The same firm has Allegri's Milan at 15/4 to win the friendly in the 90 minutes, with a draw priced up at 7/2 for the clash in Asia.
The most recent meeting between these two teams came in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League back in March 2018, when the Gunners completed a 6-1 aggregate victory.
The Sporting News' Score Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 AC Milan
- Arsenal are rated as having a 63.6% chance to beat Milan inside 90 minutes according to the latest odds on Sky Bet.
- Learn more about reading odds, different types of bets and the best online betting sites through our how to bet on football guide
Arsenal vs. AC Milan predicted lineups
It's difficult to say for sure who will feature for Arsenal in this one, with Mikel Arteta likely to heavily rotate through pre-season. New signing Martin Zubimendi could be in line to feature, though.
Arsenal predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left)
- Raya (GK) — White, Gabriel, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly — Zubimendi, Rice — Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli — Havertz
Injured: Jesus (knee)
Suspended: None
AC Milan predicted lineup (3-4-1-2, right to left)
- Maignan (GK) — Royal, Thiaw, Tomori, Bartesaghi — Fofana, Adli — Pulisic, Bennacer, Leao — Gimenez
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Arsenal vs. AC Milan latest odds, correct score betting
Arsenal are fairly comfortable favourites to win their first pre-season clash of the summer with the bookmakers, with Milan given just a 29.4% chance of winning in normal time at 12/5 with Bet365.
Our score prediction is for Arsenal to grind their way to a 2-1 victory (8/1 on Bet365) but here's the best odds available from our selected partners for some of the likeliest results for this match.
*Odds correct at time of publish
| Result | Best Odds* | Bet With |
| Arsenal 2-1 | 15/2 | Bet365 |
| Draw 1-1 | 8/1 | Bet365 |
| Arsenal 2-0 | 17/2 | Bet365 |
| Arsenal 1-0 | 9/1 | Bet365 |
| Arsenal 3-1 | 11/1 | Bet365 |
Back your correct score pick with Bet365 for £30 in free bets from a £10 stake
Arsenal vs. AC Milan team news
- Mikel Arteta is likely to heavily rotate his side throughout pre-season, but, with it being the first friendly of the summer, it wouldn’t be a shock for them to go strong from the start against Milan.
- Noni Madueke has not yet linked with the squad, having been at the Club World Cup with Chelsea, whilst Cristhian Mosquera is flying out to Singapore but hasn’t yet joined the Gunners.
- AC Milan have had a much-needed quiet summer in the transfer window in terms of incomings, as they allow Allegri to simply work with the abundance of quality they already have at their disposal.
- Milan switched and chopped and changed with regularity last season, but that is something Allegri will guard against and a solid back three shape seems likely for the Rossoneri.
Arsenal vs. AC Milan Bet Builder tips
Our bet builder tip for Arsenal vs. AC Milan is for Arsenal to win and Ethan Nwaneri to score at any time — you can back that at 8/5 with Bet365.
Pre-season football will see the emergence of some new names set to star big time in 2025/26, and we think Nwaneri perhaps falls into that category.
His breakthrough came last season and he is an extremely exciting talent, but perhaps shifting his position to a more central role is likely to see a slow adjustment.
Whether it be coming off the bench or playing the full match, Nwaneri is likely to be experimented with this summer, and his more central role will mean he remains a major goal threat at all stages of the game.
Arsenal vs AC. Milan head-to-head
In competitive fixtures, Arsenal and AC Milan have played eight times, with the Gunners winning four and losing two, as well as the two sides sharing a couple of draws.
Arsenal have won four of the last five meetings between the pair, including those back-to-back victories in the UEFA Europa League just over seven years ago.
The first-ever meeting between the two sides came in February 1995 when they shared a goalless draw at Highbury in the UEFA Super Cup, before AC Milan won the second leg 2-0 a week later at San Siro.
How to watch Arsenal vs. AC Milan: Live stream, TV channel
- Date: Wednesday, July 23
- Venue: National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore
- Time: 12:30 p.m. BST
- TV/Stream: Arsenal.com