Arsenal in MLS All-Star Game at Washington, DC, on July 19

NEW YORK (AP) — Arsenal will play Major League Soccer's All-Stars at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on July 19, the first European opponent in the game since before the coronavirus pandemic.

The Gunners, pursuing their first Premier League title since 2004, also were the All-Star opponent in 2016. They won 2-1 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California, on goals by Joel Campbell and Chuba Akpom. Didier Drogba, then playing for Montreal, scored for MLS.

MLS announced Tuesday it was returning to its most-used All-Star format.

The league began having its top players face a European opponent in 2005, then announced in November 2019 that it was changing to its All-Stars against those of Liga MX. , but the format was used the following two years, with and .

Arsenal will become the third European club to appear in two MLS All-Star Games after Manchester United (2010 and ‘11) and Chelsea (2006 and ’12). The previous European opponent was .

in the Premier League. Arsenal has nine games remaining and City has 10.

MLS's All-Star Game had an East vs. West format in 1996 and ‘97, from 1999-2001 and in 2004. Its American players met its international players in 1998, and MLS All-Stars played the U.S. national team in 2002 and Mexico's Chivas in 2003.

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