A Guide to Premier League Sides’ Pre-Season Tours in the U.S.

In preparation for England’s top-flight campaigns year-on-year, many elite clubs choose to tour the U.S. So far, 10 Premier League sides have confirmed they will journey across the pond this summer. If you wish to explore their schedules in hopes of seeing your favorite overseas team play and perhaps immerse yourself in supplementary information at the same time, this guide may be a great place to begin.

Why do Premier League Teams Tour the U.S. in the Pre-Season?

There tends to be an array of questions that arise when Premier League clubs announce their pre-season tours, training camps and fixtures, such as, why are they traveling to the U.S. or another country abroad? Is it feasible for the team? Why can’t they play more pre-season fixtures on home turf to give fans who are unable to attend domestic games a chance to see their beloved side live in the flesh? There are multiple factors that take precedence.

Owners

Many elite sides in England are owned by an American individual or company. Take Arsenal and Chelsea, for example. The Gunners are headed by American billionaire Stan Kroenke and his Kroenke Sports and Entertainment label, who acquired 100% ownership of the club in 2018 after becoming a shareholder in May 2007. Arsenal’s London rivals, Chelsea, were taken over in a high-profile acquisition by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, who formed an investor consortium named BlueCo in 2022.

Both Kroenke and Boehly own and co-own American outfits of multiple sports, more so the former as he is the owner of Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Rapids, among others, while Boehly co-owns Los Angeles Dodgers.

Their influence and connections to state-of-the-art facilities present beneficial opportunities for the respective clubs to have the greatest experience and preparation.

Financial Opportunities

The U.S. is increasingly becoming a hub for teams to increase their financial revenue by selling jerseys, membership programs, and differing products to fans in a direct-to-consumer stream. With the attraction of the club’s biggest stars in person for the fanbases in the U.S. to witness, many will be enticed to purchase merchandise and specified personal mementos from respective tours to cherish the moment.

New openings may arise to tap into new markets, like partnering with new businesses and emerging technologies, which also benefit the club and its fanbase. Augmented reality is an example that many teams have recently utilized via their connections and demand to boost monetization and engagement with fans worldwide.

Sponsorship deals need to be fulfilled, and crossovers will occur, too. Chelsea’s main shirt sponsor, Infinite Athlete, is a sports data technology corporation headquartered in San Francisco, California. The Blues kickstart this year’s U.S. pre-season tour in California against Wrexham, and it is a perfect opportunity for the company to be highlighted with a large presence. Arsenal will go head-to-head with Manchester United in their first match of the tour at the SoFi stadium, which is the Los Angeles Rams’ home ground for NFL fixtures owned by Stan Kroenke.

Engaging with Fans Overseas

The likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are all favorites with a vast population who enjoy the sport and they all ultimately compete with one another to appeal to and engage with fans.

Despite clubs recognizing that not all fans around their region or throughout the United Kingdom are fortunate enough to see their team play week-in-week-out, a balance must be established to suit all parties involved. It becomes an opportunity for fans in the U.S. or further abroad in neighboring countries to see their supported team play live. Live press conferences where fans can attend and participate in Q&A sessions, meet and greets, community work, and alternative activities often take place during pre-season tours in a festival-like atmosphere that helps to engage and relate to fans.

Premier League Sides’ Schedules in the USA

Here’s how the 10 confirmed Premier League teams shape up with their fixtures in the States.

Arsenal

• Arsenal vs Manchester United – July 27 – SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California
• Arsenal vs Liverpool – July 31 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Aston Villa

• Aston Villa vs Columbus Crew – July 27 – Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio
• Aston Villa vs RB Leipzig – July 31 – Red Bull Arena, New Jersey
• Aston Villa vs Club America – August 3 – Soldier Field, Chicago

Bournemouth

Pardon the pun; “Bourne in the USA” is the official heading for Bournemouth’s trip to the USA. Bill Foley is putting his side up for a luxurious stay at his Hotel Californian based in Santa Barbara, while investor and shareholder of the club Michael B. Jordan may be back and forth from Hollywood!

• Bournemouth vs Wrexham – July 20 – Harder Stadium, Santa Barbara

The Cherries’ official website stated that their squad will head to the U.S. for a two-week training camp and participate in two fixtures.

However, only one has been confirmed thus far against newly promoted EFL League One outfit Wrexham, whose owners are Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The illustrious pair have already crossed paths with Michael B. Jordan away from the movie sets as they purchased a joint stake in the Alpine Formula 1 team.

Chelsea

• Chelsea vs Wrexham – July 24 – Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
• Chelsea vs Celtic – July 27 – Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
• Chelsea vs Club America – July 31 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
• Chelsea vs Manchester City – August 3 – Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
• Chelsea vs Real Madrid – August 6 – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Crystal Palace

• Crystal Palace vs Wolves – July 31 – Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Maryland
• Crystal Palace vs West Ham – August 3 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Liverpool

• Liverpool vs Real Betis – July 26 – Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Liverpool vs Arsenal – July 31 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Liverpool vs Manchester United – August 3 – Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina

Manchester City

• Manchester City vs Celtic – July 23 – Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Manchester City vs AC Milan – July 27 – Yankee Stadium, New York City
• Manchester City vs Barcelona – July 30 – Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
• Manchester City vs Chelsea – August 3 – Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Manchester United

• Manchester United vs Arsenal – July 27 – SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, California
• Manchester United vs Real Betis – July 31 – Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California
• Manchester United vs Liverpool – August 3 – Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina

West Ham

• West Ham vs Wolves – July 27 – EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
• West Ham vs Crystal Palace – August 3 – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs West Ham – July 27 – EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Crystal Palace – July 31 – Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Maryland

Soccer and Sports Betting

Premier League sides visiting the U.S. generate excitement and investment in the game. Despite results and teams’ line-ups in friendlies being unpredictable due to fringe and younger players often receiving chances to make a statement to push into the first team, coupled with the European Championships and Copa America taking place, certain sportsbooks may be offering multiple possibilities to place stakes on bets for fixtures listed above. A popular strategy available is matched betting. Despite three possible outcomes existing to conclude a game, there are ample opportunities for those interested.

Summary (H2)

Pre-season tours in the U.S. succeed by preparing the squad ahead of the upcoming season in excellent facilities often provided or sourced by the owners of the respective club, sponsors, or connections. There are opportunities to increase financial revenue streams with businesses and to engage with fans abroad in more detail. With several pieces to link together, it represents a full circle motion for figures such as Stan Kroenke and Bill Foley, who can host their own outfit at another asset within their possession.

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