Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tottenham Hotspur Gear Up for Historic North London Derby with Arsenal Abroad

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, July 31, 2025, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal will face off in a historic pre-season North London Derby at Kai Tak Stadium in Kowloon, Hong Kong. This will mark the first time this iconic derby will be played outside the UK.

Scheduled for 7:30 PM HKT (11:30 AM UTC), the match is part of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025 and serves as a key fixture in both clubs’ pre-season tours in Asia. With a capacity of 50,000, the newly opened Kai Tak Stadium is set to host a sold-out crowd, reflecting the high anticipation for this clash.

Thomas Frank calls his new rivals Arsenal "one of the best teams in the world" 👀⚔️ pic.twitter.com/g5PMWeTYqr
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 29, 2025

Thomas Frank: A Thrilling Challenge Awaits in Global Derby

Newly appointed Spurs manager Thomas Frank has termed the fixture with Arsenal crucial. Praising their city rivals in the recent interviews, Frank realises the challenge they pose. Wanting to improve in the pre-season, Frank also called facing Arsenal as an opportunity to learn quicker about the squad.

Talking about the upcoming derby and what could he expect out of the fixture, Frank in his pre-match interview said:

“Great feeling. Its going to be a great challenge. Its the first North London derby outside the UK and we and the fans will be looking forward to it.”

“I think the better opponents that we can play the quicker we can attain the levels we want to be”

Adding to the team news and squad available for the clash against Arsenal, Frank gave injury updates as he mentioned:

“Dom is looking much better, so that’s progressing. Could not be available for Arsenal. Madders is looking better and better ams Rodri is back from illness as well”

These comments reflect a manager who sees the historic overseas fixture as both a unique opportunity and a critical step in preparing for the 2025/26 season.

Micky Van de Ven has said life under #thfc boss Thomas Frank has been ‘really good’ so far. 🤍🤝

"The first couple of weeks have been really good. The gaffer has said how he wants us to be on and off the pitch and he has instilled his principles" pic.twitter.com/RWszBkasa4
— Spurs Army (@SpursArmyTweets) July 29, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season North London Derby against Arsenal is a significanct fixture despite its friendly status. Centre-Back Micky Van De Ven described it as a “massive game,” underscoring the enduring intensity of the rivalry. He also stated that “You always want to win the North London Derby.” expressing his readiness and desire to start the season on a high.

The match will be available via pay-per-view on Arsenal’s official website (arsenal.com) for £4.99 or £14.99 (bundled with Arsenal’s Emirates Cup matches against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao). Tottenham’s SPURSPLAY service will also stream the game for subscribers.

Arsenal

Thomas Frank

Tottenham Hotspur

Mayur Dedwal

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I’m a Sports Content Writer with expertise in football. Being a decade old football enthusiast and part-time coach, I try to bring to life to the articles in a statistical manner. Being around all kinds of sports updates and able to put in my perspective’s to the happenings in the world of football are few of the many things i like in doing what i do. You can find me playing Sunday leagues or Xbox on weekends!