Arsenal Face Dortmund in Emirates Cup After Mixed Pre-Season
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 13 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Premier League champions Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium for the Emirates Cup on Sunday evening, facing Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in their first home pre-season match. The Gunners are boosted by the £75 million signing of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, who may make an appearance to greet fans. Arsenal's pre-season form has been mixed, following a 4-1 victory over Girona with a 2-goal defeat to Real Betis in Dublin, where they trailed 1-3 at halftime despite fielding a strong lineup.
Key Points
- Arsenal face Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on August 9 at 21:00 BST, their first home pre-season fixture.
- New signing Bruno Guimaraes, signed for £75 million (approximately HK$780 million) from Newcastle, could feature to greet supporters.
- Arsenal lost their previous friendly against Real Betis in Dublin by 2 goals, having trailed 1-3 at halftime with Hincapie scoring for Betis.
- Against Betis, Arsenal deployed Lewis Skelly in midfield and a front three of Tzolis, Gyokeres, and young star Dowman.
- Dortmund have had an underwhelming pre-season with 1 win and 1 loss in Japan, and lost winger Adeyemi to Barcelona this summer.
- Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has returned to training, but England quartet including Declan Rice will not feature.
Why It Matters
The Emirates Cup represents Arsenal's crucial final pre-season test before their Premier League title defence begins, offering supporters their first chance to see new signings and assess the team's readiness. Arsenal have historically dominated this tournament, and maintaining that record would build momentum and confidence ahead of the competitive season.
The Emirates Cup represents Arsenal's crucial final pre-season test before their Premier League title defence begins, offering supporters their first chance to see new signings and assess the team's readiness. Arsenal have historically dominated this tournament, and maintaining that record would build momentum and confidence ahead of the competitive season.