Manchester United to play Arsenal in friendly at SoFi Stadium

Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal will face off at SoFi Stadium on July 27 in the first game of a three-team, three-match preseason tour of the U.S. Liverpool, the current league leader, is the third team involved. The Reds will meet Arsenal at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on July 31 before playing Manchester United on Aug. 3 in Columbia, S.C.

Arsenal was an easy choice for the SoFi matchup since Stan Kroenke, the team’s owner, also owns the Inglewood stadium. SoFi will also be the site of two group-play matches in this summer’s Copa América, with Brazil taking on the winner of a CONCACAF playoff on June 24 and Venezuela facing Mexico two days later.

“The popularity of English football is continuously growing in the U.S., and we’ve come to expect passionate and enthusiastic support,” John Murtough, Manchester United’s football director, said in a statement. “They didn’t disappoint last year and everyone at the club is looking forward to reconnecting with those fans again this summer.”

United beat Arsenal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., last July in the opener of a four-game exhibition tour. This summer’s games are being promoted by TEG Sport as the Rivals in Red Tour.

Pre-sale for the SoFi match opens online Monday at 9 a.m. on TEG Sport’s website.