Premier League leaders Arsenal are set to face an MLS XI managed by DC United boss Wayne Rooney this summer, with the Manchester United legend reportedly letting details slip to fans during a fan event last Thursday.
The Gunners currently sit eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table with 10 games left to play. Mikel Arteta’s youthful side are currently one of England’s biggest draws and are hoping to beat defending champions Manchester City to the top flight crown.
And according to The Athletic, Arsenal will be heading to the US this summer for pre-season regardless of whether they’re champions or not. The match is set to take place on July 19 at Audi Field in Washington D.C, home of Rooney’s Black-and-Reds.
United legend Rooney, who has managed DC United since last July, is set to take charge of the MLS team. The 37-year-old ex-England captain let details of the pre-season friendly slip during a fan event last Thursday.
However, an official announcement of the mega clash is yet to be made.
Rooney has experience both for and against an MLS XI. The former forward played against the MLS All-Stars in 2011 in a 4-0 Manchester United win, and started for the MLS All-Stars in 2019 in a 3-0 loss to Atletico Madrid.
A summer dust-up with the Gunners would see the return of a European juggernaut on US soil to face an MLS XI for the first time in two years. A Liga MX All-Stars team has plugged the temporary gap.
Arsenal have previously faced the MLS All-Stars in a 2016 friendly. Arsene Wenger ’s side won 2-1 with Costa Rica World Cup star Joel Campbell and Chuba Akpom bagging the goals.
Rooney will be hoping he’s still in a job come the summer with DC United struggling in the MLS for the second season running. Last term, Rooney’s men finished bottom of the Eastern Conference. And just four games into the new season, DC United are 11th having won one, drawn one and lost two. They lost their last outing 3-2 to New York City.
