PL Pre-Season: Same Old Story for Arsenal, Villa, Ipswich?

The English top flight is already well into its pre-season schedules. A mixed bag of domestic friendlies, European opposition, and globe-trotting tours. All designed to get those legs moving before the serious business starts.

Arsenal's already stacked up three games. A quiet 3-0 romp over MK Dons at the training ground on 25 July was the start. Now things get real, sort of. Girona away, 1 August. Then Dublin for Real Betis on 5 August. The Emirates hosts Borussia Dortmund, 9 August. Little Como shows up on 12 August. The grand finale? Community Shield, Cardiff, 16 August. Facing Manchester City, naturally.

Don't think Villa's been sitting around, either. Nope. Walsall got a 5-0 hammering on 21 July. Then a slightly less impressive 2-1 away draw at Porto a week later. Real Sociedad at home, 28 July. After that? A trip to the Far East. Indonesia All-Stars. BG Pathum United. Early August. Not exactly a European tour, is it? The glamour arrives on 12 August: UEFA Super Cup against PSG, in Salzburg. Followed by a friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach. Because why not squeeze one more in?

Ipswich, bless 'em, have crammed it all in. Two games on 1 August. That's right, *two*. Oxford away, noon. Then Wycombe at Adams Park, 4pm. Le Havre at home, 4 August. Rayo Vallecano on 8 August. Union Berlin wraps it up on 15 August. No rest for the newly promoted.

Sky Sports will keep you posted, apparently. Every kick. Every result. Until 21 August, when the real stuff begins.