Arsenal vs Como prediction, tips and odds | 12/08/2026

Cesc Fabregas returns to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening as the opposition manager for the first time, bringing a Como side that finished fourth in Serie A last season and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history. Arsenal wrap up their pre-season programme with this fixture before the Community Shield against Manchester City on 16 August, and Mikel Arteta will want to address two consecutive defeats before competitive football returns.

The Premier League champions have conceded in four of their last five matches, shipping eight goals in that run, and the absence of both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber has left the defensive line exposed. Como still have a further friendly against Liverpool before their Serie A campaign begins, but Fabregas will treat this trip to north London as a serious examination of his rebuilt squad. Betfred price both teams to score at 1.53 for this fixture, a reflection of just how porous both defences have looked in pre-season.

Arsenal vs Como form and preview

Arsenal secured the 2025-26 Premier League title when Manchester City drew 1-1 with Bournemouth on matchday 37, confirming the Gunners as champions before their final-day 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Viktor Gyokeres finished his debut season as top scorer with 21 goals across all competitions, 14 of those in the league.

Six days later came the Champions League final in Budapest. Kai Havertz gave Arsenal the lead inside six minutes, only for Ousmane Dembele to equalise from the penalty spot on 65 minutes. After extra time failed to separate the sides, Arsenal lost the shootout 3-4 when Gabriel Magalhaes blazed the decisive fifth kick over the crossbar.

Pre-season opened with a comfortable 3-0 win over MK Dons behind closed doors, before a 4-1 dismantling of Girona offered a more revealing look at what Arteta is building around Gyokeres and the summer signings.

Since then, however, the picture has shifted. A 1-3 defeat to Real Betis at the Emirates laid bare the centre-back shortage, with Saliba and Timber both absent through injury. The Dortmund loss compounded the concern: Arsenal trailed 2-0 at the interval before Nwaneri and Gyokeres pulled goals back, but the hosts still fell to a 2-3 defeat.

Back-to-back home defeats and eight goals conceded across the last five matches have left Arteta with work to do before the competitive calendar begins. The sole clean sheet in that stretch came against MK Dons, a League One side, which hardly inspires confidence.

Como ended their Serie A season on a high with a 1-0 win over Parma and a 4-1 victory against Cremonese, securing the fourth-place finish that earned a historic first Champions League qualification. Anastasios Douvikas led the attack with 14 Serie A goals and 17 across all competitions last season.

Pre-season form has been encouraging. A 2-2 draw with Paris FC was followed by the Como Cup, a tournament at the Stadio Sinigaglia played over 45-minute matches. Como beat Al-Ula 3-1, drew 1-1 with Villarreal before losing 3-1 on penalties, and then defeated Famalicao 3-2 in the third-place match to round off the competition. Across those five fixtures, Fabregas's side have scored 13 and conceded seven.

Fabregas has been busy in the transfer window. Trevoh Chalobah signed from Chelsea on 9 August, Yan Couto arrived on loan from Borussia Dortmund, and Luis Milla joined from Getafe. Alvaro Morata has had his deal made permanent, while teenagers Mattia Liberali from Catanzaro and Andres Cuenca from Barcelona add depth and potential to the squad.

Tactically, the opportunity for Como lies on the counter-attack, precisely the area where Fabregas's 4-2-3-1 is designed to thrive. Both sides have been leaking goals throughout the summer: both teams scored in all five of Como's recent matches, and in four of Arsenal's last five.

Fabregas spent eight years at Arsenal between 2003 and 2011, an association that lends this friendly a competitive edge few pre-season fixtures carry. He has taken Como from Serie B to Champions League qualifiers inside three years, and his players will arrive at the Emirates expecting to compete rather than simply participate.

Team news: Arsenal vs Como

Arsenal

Saliba remains sidelined with a lower back problem that Arteta confirmed on 9 August will require a fortnight of rest. Timber is making progress with his groin injury but is still weeks away from involvement. Louie Copley ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the Betis defeat and will miss the entire season.

Cristhian Mosquera has started each of the last three friendly matches and is expected to partner Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence. Piero Hincapie and Ben White should fill the full-back positions, with Hincapie on the left and White on the right.

Bruno Guimaraes, who recently arrived from Newcastle United for a reported 75 million pounds, could make his Arsenal debut in midfield alongside Martin Odegaard, with Myles Lewis-Skelly also in contention for the third midfield place. Kepa Arrizabalaga should continue in goal ahead of David Raya.

Como

Nico Paz has not featured during pre-season after an extended break following the World Cup with Argentina and is unlikely to start here. That opens the door for Adrian Lahdo to slot in as the creative midfielder behind Douvikas.

Maximo Perrone and Caqueret should form the double pivot, with Lahdo providing the link to attack. Chalobah could make his debut alongside Jacobo Ramon in central defence, though his fitness after just three days at the club remains uncertain.

Morata is available as an alternative in attack but Douvikas, as the club's leading scorer last season, should lead the line from the start.

Arsenal vs Como predicted XIs

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Kepa Arrizabalaga; Ben White, Gabriel, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie; Bruno Guimaraes, Martin Odegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Christos Tzolis, Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz.

Predicted Como XI (4-2-3-1): Jean Butez; Yan Couto, Jacobo Ramon, Trevoh Chalobah, Kaiki; Maximo Perrone, Maxence Caqueret; Assane Diao, Adrian Lahdo, Martin Baturina; Anastasios Douvikas.

Head-to-head: Arsenal vs Como

There is no competitive or friendly record between Arsenal and Como. This will be the first meeting between the two clubs in their respective histories.

The connection between them runs entirely through Fabregas. The Spaniard joined Arsenal from Barcelona's academy in 2003 at 16 years of age, making over 300 appearances across eight seasons and captaining the side before departing for Barcelona in 2011.

He took charge of Como in 2023 and has since overseen promotion from Serie B, consolidation in the top flight, and a fourth-place Serie A finish in 2025-26. Wednesday evening carries emotional weight for the Spaniard, though the practical objective is clear: testing the rebuilt squad ahead of the Serie A opener against Udinese on 22 August and the Champions League league phase.

Our Arsenal vs Como prediction and tips