Arsenal Football Club can announce that it will play a pre-season friendly match against New York Red Bulls in the United States this summer.
Arsène Wenger’s side will take on the MLS club at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, on Saturday, July 26, kick-off 5pm (local time).
The Gunners are set to come up against their all-time leading scorer Thierry Henry, who now captains New York Red Bulls. Since arriving in New York in 2010, the Arsenal legend has scored 42 goals in 94 appearances and been named in the MLS All-Star Team on three consecutive occasions.
Former Everton star Tim Cahill and Bradley Wright-Phillips, son of Arsenal’s second all-time top scorer Ian Wright, also currently play for the American side.
"The fact that Thierry is the New York Red Bulls club captain makes this a particularly special fixture, and everyone involved with the club is looking forward to it"
Ivan Gazidis
It will be Arsenal’s second encounter with the New York Red Bulls in three years, following a 1-1 draw at the 2011 Emirates Cup. The first team last visited the United States for an exhibition match with Independiente of Argentina in Miami, Florida in 1989.
The game will be Arsenal's only match outside Europe this summer.
Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said: “We are delighted to be visiting the United States for the first time in 25 years. We enjoy fantastic support there, and in particular in New York, so we are looking forward to providing our fans with an opportunity to watch the team play live. The fact that Thierry is the New York Red Bulls club captain makes this a particularly special fixture, and everyone involved with the club is looking forward to it.”
Wenger added: “This will be a great chance to play in front of supporters who have not seen the team play before. The New York Red Bulls will be midway through their season, so they will provide a good test. Obviously it will be good to play against Thierry. He is a very special player in our club’s history and I know the players and the supporters will enjoy this very much.”
Thierry Henry said: “It goes without saying that hosting Arsenal at Red Bull Arena will be a special moment for me both on a professional and personal level. As I have said before, the club is in my heart and this will be another terrific chapter in my relationship with Arsenal Football Club. Along with my team-mates, I am excited to host Arsenal in New York - one of the greatest cities in the world - and hope that Red Bulls and Arsenal fans will be able to enjoy the match."
Ticket details for the match will be confirmed in due course.
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