Arsenal in Sydney: when it’s on, kick off times, venue, where to watch and what to look out for

ARSENAL FC visit Australia for the first time in 40 years to face Sydney FC and WSW. Your lowdown on the games, the players and why it all matters.

Olivier Giroud and Arsenal’s FA Cup winners are heading to Sydney this month.

It’s the off season for the giants of European football. And that means their horizons become expanded, trips to other, more distant, footballing frontiers made possible.

After recent visits from Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, it is Arsenal’s turn to stop by in Australia as they launch preparations for the coming season.

Arsenal won their 13th FA Cup with victory over Chelsea earlier this year.

And, with their last visit a sepia-tinged memory, a 3-1 defeat to an Australian team featuring John Kosmina and Peter Wilson and coached by Jim Shoulder, it’s been a long time between drinks for Arsenal fans Down Under.

Who are they?

Arsenal are one of the most successful clubs in English football, having won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and a record 13 FA Cups — the most recent back in May when they beat Chelsea 2-1 to take out the honour.

Australia, we're on our way 🇦🇺

Follow us on Instagram for more pic.twitter.com/93eEh6V32q

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 9, 2017

The north London team fell out of the Champions League reckoning for the first time since manager Arsene Wenger took over back in 1996 by finishing fifth in the Premier League last season, but still carry the players and financial muscle of a European heavyweight — with an estimated worth of $1.3 billion, Arsenal are ranked the seventh richest club in world football.

Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil will both feature in the Sydney clashes.

Where and when will they play?

Thursday July 13

Sydney FC v Arsenal FC

ANZ Stadium

Kick-off: 8.00pm

Saturday July 15

Western Sydney Wanderers v Arsenal FC

ANZ Stadium

Kick-off: 8.00pm

Why should I care?

Don’t try and dismiss these two matches as mere money-spinning friendlies to the legions of Arsenal fans in Australia desperate to see their team play in the flesh (and at a time when they don’t have to set an alarm). ANZ Stadium is predicting sell out for both matches, and any fixture in front of 80,000 baying fans is an occasion charged with some meaning, even if points or trophies aren’t on offer..

For the two Sydney clubs it is a chance to test themselves against the kind of world class side they rarely meet in domestic or Asian Champions League fixtures. Sydney FC romped to the A-League title last season and a performance and result against the Premier League giants would go some way towards maintaining the feel good factor around the club ahead of the defence of that title later in the year.

Sydney FC and the Wanderers have the chance to test themselves against a top European side.

Premier League clubs have deep and talented squads. There are players playing for their places in Arsenal’s team — or elsewhere in some cases, if the rumour mill is to be believed — and so even without a true first eleven picked, the standard and competitiveness is set to be fierce.

Australian football has to fight to be taken seriously sometimes on an international stage and visits form the big European powerhouses offer a chance to take a reading on how our club sides are travelling.

Who can I see?

The squad that boarded the plane in London was a strong one, with only a couple of stand out absentees.

🇫🇷🇫🇷#ArsenalInSydney pic.twitter.com/NKhCoTP62M

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) July 10, 2017

Alexis Sanchez and Shkodran Mustafi have been given a pass after facing off in the recent Confederations Cup final, for Chile and Germany respectively. And lightening quick defender Hector Bellerin, a target of Barcelona, has also been given more time to rest after his Under-21 European Championship exsertions.

But other than that most of Arsenal’s household names have made the trip. Record signing Alexandre Lacazette, who joined the club for a cool $80m from Lyon last week will make his debut in Sydney. Their other summer signing, Bosnia-Herzegovina international Saed Kolašinac, will also feature, while Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Oliver Giroud are also on the tour.

Arsenal’s new record signing Alexandre Lacazette will debut in Sydney.

With two games in three days they should all play some part in one or both of the games.

Most Arsenal fans will be focused on Lacazette, who Wenger is hoping will give the side more cutting edge, as well as playing the game of trying to read Ozil’s body language to see if his heart is still with the Arsenal cause, after persistent rumours suggesting the German World Cup winner was looking for a way out of the club.

Arsenal squad: Petr Cech, Emi Martinez, David Ospina, Krystian Bielik, Cohen Bramall, Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny, Olivier Giroud, Alex Iwobi, Sead Kolasinac, Laurent Koscielny, Alexandre Lacazette, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Donyell Malen, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Özil, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck, Joe Willock, Granit Xhaka.

What can I expect?

These matches are generally entertaining affairs. With less pressure on the result, some world class players will be freer to express themselves and the domestic players tend to raise their games among more storeyed company.

No one is going to be parking the bus, anyway, which should mean goals and entertainment in both matches. And, in all likelihood, a couple of Arsenal victories.

Where can I watch?

Both matches will be shown live on free-to-air on SBS. And don’t expect the ABC treatment of the Liverpool match.

There are — at time of writing at least — still a few tickets available for both matches that can be bought through TICKETEK — but if you fancy heading along you’d probably be wise to get in now, both matches are fast moving towards a complete sell out.

With stars like Ozil on show goals should be in plentiful supply.

If you aren’t able to get out to the stadium for the games but still fancy some atmosphere, the club have a number of supporters groups spread around Australia.

In Sydney they meet at the Croydon Park Hotel in, well, you can probably work that out, eh? Up on the Central Coast the Sideliners Bar in Erina should be jumping on both nights. And over in Melbourne a trip to The Celtic Club should see you shoulder-to-shoulder with plenty of Gooners.

Originally published as Arsenal in Sydney: when it’s on, kick off times, venue, where to watch and what to look out for