Arsenal’s under-23s will take part in the Premier League International Cup this season for the first time.
The competition pitches 12 of England’s best academy sides compete against 12 of the top development squads in the rest of Europe.
16 teams competed in the inaugural tournament in 2014/15 before it was expanded last season.
The underlying aim is to give homegrown talent a chance to test themselves against the best continental players in their age group, something many will have to cope with if they make first team appearances in the Champions League and Europa League.
Unlike recent years Arsenal won’t compete in the UEFA Youth League because the senior team didn’t reach qualify for the Champions League.
2017/18 PL International Cup Groups
Group A: Sparta Praha, Liverpool, Newcastle United, PSV Eindhoven
Group B: Hertha BSC, Legia Warsaw, Leicester City, Sunderland
Group C: Derby County, GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Everton, VfL Wolfsburg
Group D: Athletic Club Bilbao, Celtic FC, Manchester United, Swansea City
Group E: Arsenal, FC Bayern Munich, FC Porto, Reading
Group F: SL Benfica, Tottenham Hotspur, Villarreal CF, West Ham United
Arsenal fixtures
November 17 @ Meadow Park
7pm kick-off
November 30 @ Meadow Park
7pm kick-off
TBC
Sounds a good tournament and talent scouting opportunity (though that works both ways…).
And of course, even in this competition we were unable to avoid Bayern Munich…
What do we reckon the odds are on Bayern finishing 3rd in their CL group this year, dropping down to the Europa League and providing a nice “surprise” for us in the first knockout stage?
lol
Seeing how they’ve been playing in preseason, this is highly likely
More likely to be Barca that does that this season (just to even the Barca/Bayer vs us competition)
Why is it always Bayern….
Bayern Munich……AGAIN
LOL, Bayern. We had to draw them somewhere I guess.
Why aren’t Bayern playing in the UEFA Youth League?
Or maybe they’re playing in both competitions?
Tournament organisers surely taking the piss giving us bayern
Bayern again zzzz
Where’s Soton?
That Reiss Nelson kid…what close control!
The only young player from pre-season you are in half a mind to include into the first squad but then he will benefit so much more from regular games.
Its almost as if if you bring them into periphery of first squad (like the Jeff) it retards the growth somewhat. Hope this tournament improves them but maybe he even needs to be put out on a STRONG loan with say Southampton who are good at nurture themselves (but of course in their first team)
i think they like watching us both play against each other…we should call these matches munarse classico!
Bayern Again!!!!! ??
The organizers wanna fuck with us