United v Arsenal warm-ups in the USA will soon be the real deal 

Games in Philadelphia and Columbus are warm-ups for league matches being staged overseas

FOREIGN FIELD: Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli (R) fights for the ball with Manchester United's midfielder #63 James Scanlon during the pre-season club friendly at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

On a sunny summer Saturday in Inglewood, California, two of the Premier League’s most historic rivals met on the pitch, and the biggest news had nothing to do with the score of the game. Rather, two key injuries for Manchester United (Rasmus Højlund and new addition Leny Yoro) drew headlines after Arsenal’s 2-1 win in which the London side’s two key Gabriels (Jesus and Martinelli) scored.

It is just pre-season. In all likelihood, the injuries were the biggest thing to come out of a game between these opponents in this location. But it may not be that way for much longer. Soon, games like this week’s Liverpool-Arsenal clash in Philadelphia or Chelsea-Man City in Columbus could actually have an impact on the league table.