Date: August 1, 2014
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London, England
Time: 16:20 hours BST
Arsene Wenger has dubbed Arsenal’s preseason a nightmare due to it being postponed for the World Cup. And it doesn’t get any better for Arsenal this weekend as they play two games in a row. Arsenal will be without Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sanogo who are trying to recover from injury, while Alexis Sanchez has to go to Paris due to VISA issues.
But, as with Arsenal, Benfica also have to deal with a preseason interrupted by the World Cup. And they have had by far a much worse summer than Arsenal have, as they have already lost several key players. i Ezequiel Garay, Lazar Markovic, and Jan Oblak have all left, and Benfica have only signed Manchester United’s flop Bebe.
Arsenal’s Pre-Season Form
W-L
Arsenal just played their first friendly two weeks ago, against lower league side Boreham Wood. Their next stop was in the United States, where they lost 1-0 to the Red Bulls.
Benfica’s Pre-Season Form
L-W-L-L-L
Benfica’s form in pre-season so far has been a nightmare, having lost to the likes of Bilbao, Ajax, Marseille, and Sporting Lisbon. They are definitely feeling the effects of having to adjust to life without some of their key players.
Key Players
Arsenal: Calum Chambers
Chambers just started training a couple of days ago, so hopefully he will get to play. If he does, it will be interesting to see where he plays. The young 19 year-old can play at either right back, center back, or in holding midfield- a position where Arsenal must strengthen. If Wenger plays him there, and he performs well, Arsenal could be a force next season.
Benfica: Bebe
Benfica fans won’t be happy with losing the likes of Garay and Markovic and having to settle with the invisible man from United. Hopefully for them, and for him, Bebe can become a quality footballer- but he doesn’t have much time left.
Betting Advice
Arsenal is playing at home, and Benfica have lost several key players, so looking at an Arsenal win here. Make sure you take the best price of 1.75 with SkyBet.