Arsenal August 2016 Preview

Around the first of every month in-season, we’ll be bringing you a quick preview of the month’s upcoming games. There’s still a couple more friendlies to go before things start for real, but this will be our first monthly preview of Actual Games That Count in 2016.

(Quite enthused that soccer is back. Quite.)

v. Liverpool - Sunday, August 14 (PL)

Arsenal’s 2016-17 season will kick off with a bang as we host Liverpool’s first season opener under Manager Jürgen Klopp.

There have been plenty of headlines in the transfer market in Merseyside with notables RW Jordon Ibe, CM Joe Allen, CB Martin Škrtel and former Arsenal man CB Kolo Touré all moving on while picking up FW Sadio Mané, MF Georginio Wijnaldum and GK Loris Karius to name a few. Karius was set to take over starting goalkeeping duties ahead of Simon Mignolet, but the former Mainz 05 keeper will miss the first few months of the season after injuring his hand in their 0-1 preseason loss to Chelsea.

Here’s hoping we start this season entirely differently than last season...

Current position and record: t-1st, 0-0-0 (0 pts)
Previous meeting: N/A

@ Leicester City - Saturday, August 20 (PL)

Arsenal’s first away game is to defending titleholders (yes, that still actually happened) Leicester.

The Foxes have held on to former Arsenal transfer target CF Jamie Vardy and have thus far been able to hold on to current potential Arsenal transfer target RW Riyad Mahrez, but couldn’t do the same with DM N'Golo Kante who signed with Chelsea last month.

They’ve also made two solid inbound signings in Nice’s DM Nampalys Mendy and record-signing CF Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow.

We’ll see what else happens in the transfer window as Leicester prepare for Champions League soccer (yes, that still is actually going to happen).

Current position and record: t-1st, 0-0-0 (0 pts)
Previous meeting: N/A

@ Watford - Saturday, August 27 (PL)

I HAVE SEVERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT WATFORD AND INTENSE, PROFOUND ANALYSIS ON THEIR FOOTBALLING CAPABILITIES. INSTEAD OF OFFERING THOSE THOUGHTS AND DETAILING THAT ANALYSIS, PLEASE ACCEPT THIS PICTURE OF TROY DEENEY:

THANK YOU.

Current position and record: t-1st, 0-0-0 (0 pts)
Previous meeting: N/A