North London derby to be held outside of UK for first time

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will take their fierce rivalry overseas for the first time, with the two clubs set to face off in a pre-season clash in Hong Kong this summer.

The historic meeting, scheduled for July 31, will mark the first-ever North London derby played outside the United Kingdom.

The match will be held at the newly opened Kai Tak Stadium, with kick-off set for 7:30 pm local time. It forms part of the Hong Kong Football Festival, an event that also features a high-profile encounter between Liverpool and AC Milan on July 26.

Arsenal last visited Hong Kong in 2012, while Tottenham’s most recent pre-season tour took them to Japan and South Korea in 2024.

In February, the Gunners visited Dubai for a warm-weather training camp ahead of the final stretch of the season. As well as training at Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex, three of the team’s star players took part in a meet and greet with fans at JBR beach.

William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Ethan Nwaneri took part in a Q&A session for young fans, members of the Arsenal UAE supporters’ group, and invited guests, with Gulf News in attendance.

Elsewhere, Manchester United are planning post-season friendlies in Hong Kong and Malaysia before heading to the United States, where several other Premier League clubs are also expected to prepare for the 2025-26 campaign.

Chelsea and Manchester City have yet to finalise their summer plans, as both sides will compete in the Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 15.