Arsenal’s preparations for the upcoming English Premier League campaign continue on Wednesday as the north London club returns to home turf to take on La Liga outfit Villarreal in the first match of the Emirates Cup preseason tournament. 

Below, we’ll outline the best live TV streaming services to watch this friendly match as it happens, wherever you are in the world. We’ll also explain how to use a VPN if the match isn’t available where you are. 

Summer signings Viktor Gyökeres, Christian Nørgaard and Martín Zubimendi are all set to make their home debuts in today’s game. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has significantly bolstered his options following last season’s second-place EPL finish. 

Arsenal faces a Villarreal team that finished fifth in La Liga last season, with Marcelino’s men coming into this match off the back of a 1-1 draw against EPL newcomers Leeds at the weekend.

Arsenal takes on Villarreal on Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the Emirates Stadium in north London. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. BST local time in the UK. That makes it a 1 p.m. ET or 10 a.m. PT start in the US and a 3 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia on Thursday. 

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal lost its previous preseason friendly to north London rivals Tottenham 1-0 last Thursday in Hong Kong. 

Livestream Arsenal vs. Villarreal in the UK, US, Australia and Canada

While this game is not set to be televised on mainstream TV channels, Arsenal’s in-house streaming service will be showing the game live to subscribers. 

How to watch Arsenal vs. Villarreal online from anywhere using a VPN

If you’re traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the soccer action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming. 

It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. It can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. 

However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance. 

If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions, ensuring you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verifying if your streaming subscription allows VPN use is crucial.

Quick tips for streaming the preseason friendly soccer using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming this match may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble getting the game after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, because both devices will appear to be in the correct location. 
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.