The Emirates Stadium opens its doors on Sunday for the 15th edition of the Emirates Cup, and the hosts couldn’t have asked for a better opponent. Arsenal welcome Borussia Dortmund to North London in what promises to be a serious pre-season test for both sides. Kick-off is at 14:00 BST on August 9.
It’s the first time Arsenal have played at home since lifting the Premier League trophy back in May. For fans, it’s a chance to welcome the champions back and catch a glimpse of what Mikel Arteta has in store for 2026/27. For the players, there’s a point to prove after that embarrassing 3-1 loss to Real Betis in Dublin.
Can the Gunners shake off the rust and reclaim their swagger? Or will Dortmund’s hungry young squad spoil the party?
Bruno Guimarães Headlines a Busy Summer
Arsenal’s summer business has been purposeful. The headline signing dropped just hours ago: Bruno Guimarães completed his £75 million move from Newcastle United, putting pen to paper on a four-year deal. At 28, he arrives as one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders, with 195 appearances and 31 goals at St James’ Park.
Could he feature on Sunday? It’s possible. A potential 20 to 30 minutes cameo isn’t out of the question.
Guimarães isn’t the only new face either. Arteta has brought in:
- Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34 million
- Illan Meslier from Leeds United on a free transfer
- Piero Hincapié, whose loan from Bayer Leverkusen was made permanent
Meslier is potentially expected to start between the sticks after Kepa Arrizabalaga’s nightmare against Betis. That shaky evening in Dublin saw Kepa fail to claim a corner, gifting Rodrigo Riquelme the opener. Nelson Deossa and Pablo Fornals piled on before Hincapié headed in a consolation.
Captain Martin Ødegaard is back in training and could start after Ethan Nwaneri struggled against Betis but that’s kind of long-short. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhães also returned in Dublin and might step into the starting eleven.
Our predicted Arsenal lineup is:
Meslier; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapié; Ødegaard, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz; Dowman, Gyökeres, Martinelli.
Dortmund Arrive With Problems of Their Own
This isn’t the Dortmund side that troubled Europe a couple of years ago. Yes, they finished second in the Bundesliga last season under Niko Kovac, posting the division’s best defensive record with just 34 goals conceded. But key departures have left gaps.
Julian Brandt left on a free transfer. Karim Adeyemi joined Barcelona. Niklas Süle retired to amateur football. That’s a lot of experience and quality walking out the door.
The replacements look promising though. Konstantinos Karetsas arrived from Genk for around €30 million on a five-year deal. The 18-year-old Greek international tallied 11 assists in Belgium’s top flight last season. He could feature if Carney Chukwuemeka doesn’t recover from the knee injury he picked up against FC Tokyo last week.
Dortmund’s pre-season hasn’t been smooth. They lost to Fortuna Düsseldorf, fell 1-0 to Cerezo Osaka in Japan, and only just edged past FC Tokyo thanks to a Fabio Silva strike. Kovac admitted his squad lacked chemistry after the World Cup disrupted preparations.
Captain Emre Can remains sidelined with an ACL tear sustained in March. Nico Schlotterbeck is also out after injuring his ankle at the World Cup. Those are two massive absences in defence and midfield.
Prediction: Arsenal Edge It at Home
History favours the Gunners here. Arsenal lead the overall head-to-head with four wins to Dortmund’s three from eight meetings. More importantly, the hosts are chasing a 10th Emirates Cup title and a fifth consecutive win in this competition.
Yes, that Betis defeat was ugly. But it came with a makeshift squad still shaking off World Cup cobwebs. With Ødegaard, Martinelli, and Viktor Gyökeres likely to feature from the start, this should be a very different Arsenal side.
Dortmund’s injury problems and stuttering pre-season form don’t help their cause. Kovac’s squad is still integrating returning World Cup players, and the loss of Brandt’s creativity leaves them short in the final third.
Pre-season form rarely tells you the full story. But Arsenal’s quality and home advantage should be enough to get the job done.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Borussia Dortmund.
