Chelsea and Arsenal schedule preseason tour of the United States

One of the best things about football is its ability to bring people together. It’s incredible when you think about it. A sport that involves 22 men or women kicking a ball around a pitch for 90 minutes, seeing which side can put the ball in the back of the other’s net more times over that hour and a half. For some, football is purely entertainment and for others, it’s a temporary escape from the mundane routine of everyday life. People pay hard-earned money to support their football club, regardless of where they are on the planet. Chelsea is one of the most unique fanbases on the globe with millions of fans in every corner of the world.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that football clubs capitalize on this worldwide reach and the passion of supporters whenever they can. This usually involves preseason fixtures in luxurious destinations where fans—who usually cannot watch their team play live otherwise—can attend matches. One of the hotbeds for these travels is the United States. It’s easy to see why, especially for teams like the Blues, who have an American star within their ranks. Chelsea will officially make its return to America this summer for a handful of preseason fixtures, including a meeting with Arsenal.

Chelsea officially announces a preseason clash with Arsenal in the United States

The Blues are expected to play three preseason fixtures in America, culminating with a London Derby against the Gunners at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on July 23. Thomas Tuchel’s men will play in two games leading up to that match on July 16 and 20 respectively. Although the locations and opponents are not yet confirmed, there have been rumors swirling about both. Chelsea is expected to announce a meeting with MLS newcomer Charlotte FC in the near future, a game that will be played in the Queen City. Las Vegas is also a reported destination with the reigning Florida Cup Champion, Everton, emerging as a potential foe.

The FIFA Club World Cup Champions will come back stateside for the first time in a few years for the newly established FC Series. The FC Series is a rebranding of the Florida Cup that will now be expanding across the United States in what is being dubbed the ‘Clash of Nations’. At this moment, there are three teams confirmed to be a part of the event: Chelsea, Arsenal and Orlando City. The Blues’ two future opponents will also join the competition’s roster once announced.

Chelsea Technical and Performance Adviser Petr Cech spoke about the trip on Tuesday, stating:

"“We have a huge fan base in the US that we’ve proudly built, and we’ve seen that fanbase getting bigger and bigger every year. We are delighted to go and play in the FC Series and the Florida Cup, where in total we will have three competitive games to prepare well for our upcoming season and to show what we can do to the American audience.”"

This is a trip years in the making for the Blues. They had planned to travel to America, where they could showcase their newly acquired, young phenom, Christian Pulisic, back in the summer of 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in those plans and halted them for more than two years. The club was last back in the United States in May of 2019 for a charity match against the New England Revolution ahead of the highly anticipated UEFA Europa League final . . . which was coincidentally also played against the Gunners.

If everything goes according to plan, the winger won’t be the only center of attention either. All eyes could be on the club’s new owner(s), as well. Chelsea’s next owner has a 66% of being American as Todd Boehly and Stephen Pagliuca make up two of the three remaining bidders. In the grand scheme of things, this trip hinges upon a deal getting over the line before July. The sanctions imposed by the UK government restrict the Blues from spending any more money than absolutely necessary on travel at this time, but all signs point toward a takeover being completed in the coming weeks. Therefore, we’ll see you all under the warm sun this summer.

Will you be joining the Blues stateside in July? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!