As the new football season approaches, Premier League clubs are ramping up their preparations with a series of pre-season friendlies.
These matches offer valuable opportunities for players and managers to fine-tune their tactics and integrate new signings before the competitive action begins.
Also read: EPL: Man Utd’s failure to qualify for Champions League confirmed
Several clubs have already kicked off their pre-season campaigns, with mixed results.
Manchester United, under the scrutiny of manager Erik Ten Hag, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Norwegian side Rosenborg but bounced back with a 2-0 victory over Rangers.
The Red Devils’ new signing, Leny Yoro, made his debut in the latter match, just two days after joining the club.
Meanwhile, Everton faced challenges both on and off the pitch.
As the Friedkin Group withdrew from negotiations to purchase the club, Sean Dyche’s team struggled in a 3-3 draw with Sligo Rovers.
The match saw the Blues debut their new Castore home strip and required a late brace from Youssef Chermiti to salvage a draw.
Many Premier League clubs are heading to the United States for their pre-season tours.
Manchester City, preparing for a fifth consecutive title defence, will conclude their US tour with the Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.
City manager Pep Guardiola said, “Despite being City’s fourth consecutive appearance in the match, a win in August would be their first since 2019.”
Other clubs crossing the Atlantic include Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Liverpool. These teams will face a mix of domestic and international opponents in various US cities.
Some clubs are opting for European or Asian tours. Tottenham Hotspur, for instance, will play matches in Tokyo and Seoul, including a high-profile friendly against Bayern Munich on August 3rd.
The pre-season schedule also provides opportunities for lower-league opposition. Bournemouth, for example, played out a 1-1 draw with Wrexham, while Crystal Palace began their preparations with a 1-1 tie against Charlton Athletic.
As the summer progresses, these friendlies will play a crucial role in shaping the teams for the upcoming Premier League season.
New managers, such as Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, Liverpool’s Arne Slot, and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, will be particularly eager to impart their tactical philosophies on their squads.
With the Premier League kickoff looming, these pre-season fixtures offer fans a tantalizing glimpse of what’s to come in the 2024-25 campaign.
Full list
Arsenal
July 20: Arsenal 2-0 Leyton Orient
July 25 vs Bournemouth, 3:30am, Dignity Health Park
July 28 vs Manchester United, 01:00am, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
August 1 vs Liverpool, 12:30am, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
August 7 vs Bayer Leverkusen, 6:00pm, Emirates Stadium, London
August 11 vs Lyon, 2:00pm Emirates Stadium, London
Aston Villa
July 17: Aston Villa 3-0 Walsall
July 20: Spartak Trnava 0-3 Aston Villa
July 28 vs Columbus Crew, 1:00am, Lower.com Field, Ohio
August 1 vs RB Leipzig, 1:00am, Red Bull Arena, New Jersey
August 3 vs Club America, 10:30pm, Soldier Field, Chicago
August 7 vs Athletic Bilbao, 7:30pm, Bescot Stadium
August 10 vs Borussia Dortmund, 4:00pm, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
Bournemouth
July 20: Wrexham 1-1 Bournemouth
July 25 vs Arsenal, 3:30am, Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles
August 4 vs Rayo Vallecano, 3:00pm, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
August 10 vs Girona, 7:00pm, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Brentford
July 20: AFC Wimbledon 2-5 Brentford
July 25 vs Benfica, 8:00pm, Estadio da Luz, Lisbon
July 30 vs Estrela da Amadora, 11:00, Behind closed doors
August 3 vs Watford, 3:00pm, Vicarage Road
August 9 vs Wolfsburg, 7:45pm, Gtech Community Stadium
Brighton & Hove Albion
July 24 vs Kashima Antlers, 11:00am, National Stadium, Tokyo
July 28 vs Tokyo Verdy, 10:30am, National Stadium, Tokyo
August 3 vs QPR, 3:00pm, Loftus Road
Chelsea
July 25 vs Wrexham, 3:00am, Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
July 27 vs Celtic, 9:00pm, Notre Dame Stadium, Indiana
August 1 vs Club America, 12:00am, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
August 3 vs Manchester City, 10:30pm, Ohio Stadium, Columbus
August 6 vs Real Madrid, 7:00pm, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
August 11 vs Inter Milan, 3:00pm, Stamford Bridge
Crystal Palace
July 19: Crystal Palace 1-1 Charlton
July 27 vs Crawley, 12:30pm, Broadfield Stadium
August 1 vs Wolves, 01:00am, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Maryland
August 4 vs West Ham, 12:00am, Raymond James Stadium, Florida
August 11 vs FC Nantes, 3:00pm, Selhurst Park
Everton
July 19: Sligo Rovers 3-3 Everton
July 27 vs Salford City, 3:00pm, Peninsula Stadium
July 30 vs Coventry, 7:45pm, Coventry Building Society Arena
August 3 vs Preston, 3:00pm, Deepdale
Fulham
August 2 vs Benfica, 8:00pm, Estadio Algarve
August 10 vs Hoffenheim, 4:00pm, PreZero Arena
Ipswich
July 20: Ipswich 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk
July 27 vs Fortuna Dusseldorf, 3:00pm, Portman Road
August 2 vs Borussia Monchengladbach, 12:30pm, ATS Sportpark
August 3 vs Hoffenheim, 12:30pm, Kufstein Arena
Leicester
July 23 vs Shrewsbury, Croud Meadow, 7:45pm
August 10 vs Lens, 3:00pm, Stade Bollaert-Delelis
Liverpool
July 27 vs Real Betis, 12:30am, Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
August 1 vs Arsenal, 12:30am, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
August 4 vs Manchester United, 12:30am, Brice Stadium, South Carolina
August 11 vs Sevilla, 3:00pm, Anfield Stadium
Manchester City
July 24 vs Celtic, 12:30am, Kenan Stadium, North Carolina
July 27 vs AC Milan, 11:00pm, Yankee Stadium, New York
July 31 vs Barcelona, 12:00am, Camping World Stadium, Orlando
August 3 vs Chelsea, 10:30pm, Ohio Stadium, Columbus
August 10: Community Shield vs Manchester United, 3:00pm, Wembley Stadium
Manchester United
July 15: Man Utd 0-1 Rosenborg
July 20: Man Utd 2-0 Rangers
July 28 vs Arsenal, 1:00am, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
August 1 vs Real Betis, 5:00am, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
August 4 vs Liverpool, 12:30pm, Brice Stadium, South Carolina
August 10: Community Shield vs Manchester United, 3:00pm, Wembley Stadium
Newcastle United
July 27 vs Hull, 2:00pm, MKM Stadium
July 31 vs Urawa Red Diamonds, 11:30am, Saitama Stadium, Saitama
August 3 vs Yokohama F. Marinos, 1:00pm, National Stadium, Tokyo
August 9 vs Girona, 7:30pm, St James’ Park
August 10 vs Stade Brestois, 4:00pm, St James’ Park
Nottingham Forest
July 13: Chesterfield 0-3 Nottingham Forest
July 19: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Sunderland
July 23 vs Millwall, 6:00pm, Pinatar Arena, Spain
July 27 vs Elche, 10:00am, Pinatar Arena, Spain
Southampton
July 19: Eastleigh 1-7 Southampton
July 24 vs Bordeaux, 10:00am, Behind closed doors
July 27 vs Montpellier, 10:00am, Behind closed doors
Tottenham Hotspur
July 17: Hearts 1-5 Tottenham
July 20: QPR 0-2 Tottenham
July 27 vs Vissel Kobe, 11:00am, National Stadium, Tokyo
July 31 vs Team K League, 12:00pm, Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea
August 3 vs Bayern Munich, 12:00pm, Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea
August 10 vs Bayern Munich, 5:30pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
West Ham
July 15: Ferencvaros 2-2 West Ham
July 20: Dagenham & Redbridge 0-1 West Ham
July 28 vs Wolves, 12:00am, EverBank Stadium, Florida
August 4 vs Crystal Palace, 12:00am, Raymond James Stadium, Florida
August 10 vs Celta Vigo, 3:00pm, London Stadium
Wolves
July 28 vs West Ham, 12:00am, EverBank Stadium, Florida
August 1 vs Crystal Palace, 1:00am, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Maryland
August 3 vs RB Leipzig, 7:30pm, Chase Stadium, Miami
August 10 vs Rayo Vallecano, 3:00pm, Molineux
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
