Arsenal have the chance to lift silverware before the 2026-27 season even begins when they welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Emirates Stadium for the Emirates Cup on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side are aiming to win the competition for a fifth consecutive year after lifting the trophy in each of the last four editions.
However, the Gunners head into the contest looking to bounce back from a 3-1 friendly defeat to Real Betis, which ended their perfect pre-season record after earlier victories over MK Dons and Girona.
Despite the setback, Arsenal remain one of the competition’s most successful clubs, having won the Emirates Cup on nine previous occasions. Sunday’s fixture also represents one of their final opportunities to build momentum before facing Manchester City in the Community Shield next weekend.
Borussia Dortmund have endured an inconsistent pre-season under Niko Kovac, winning two and losing two of their four friendlies. After victories over Rot-Weiss Oberhausen and FC Tokyo, they also suffered defeats against Fortuna Dusseldorf and Cerezo Osaka.
The Bundesliga runners-up will also use the match as preparation for the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup later this month before concluding their summer schedule against Roma.
Team news for Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal welcomed Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes back from their post-World Cup breaks against Real Betis, although both only featured briefly as part of a planned return to action.
Young midfielder Louie Copley is a concern after picking up an injury in midweek, while captain Martin Odegaard has returned to training following his holiday and could make his first pre-season appearance from the bench.
Borussia Dortmund are monitoring Carney Chukwuemeka after the midfielder was forced off early against FC Tokyo with a recurrence of a knee issue. Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck remain unavailable with long-term knee injuries.
If Chukwuemeka is unable to feature, recent signing Konstantinos Karetsas could be handed his debut after joining from Genk earlier this week.
Expected line-ups for Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal possible starting lineup: Meslier; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapie; Vieira, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz; Dowman, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup: Drewes; Reggiani, Anton, Ritter; Svensson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Beier; Silva, Karetsas; Guirassy
How to watch Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund: TV channel, online stream
The Emirates Cup clash between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund will kick off at 2pm BST on Sunday, August 9, at the Emirates Stadium in London.
The match is expected to be shown live on Arsenal’s official media platforms, including Arsenal.com and the club’s app, with Dortmund also providing coverage via their official channels in selected territories.
The stats for Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
- Arsenal have won the last four editions of the Emirates Cup
- The Gunners have lifted the Emirates Cup on nine occasions
- Borussia Dortmund have won two and lost two of their four pre-season matches this summer
- Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat to Real Betis ended their perfect pre-season record
- The two clubs have met eight times competitively, with Arsenal winning the most recent meeting 2-0 in the Champions League in 2014
- Dortmund’s last competitive victory over Arsenal came in the 2014 Champions League group stage
Prediction for Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal’s defeat to Real Betis was largely the result of individual defensive errors rather than a poor overall display, and Arteta’s side should be capable of responding strongly on home soil.
Dortmund are still finding consistency during pre-season, and with the Gunners traditionally performing well in the Emirates Cup, the hosts look well placed to retain the trophy.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
