Arsenal Chase a Tenth Emirates Cup as Dortmund Visit North London
Arsenal have a chance to lift silverware before their 2026-27 season has even started, hosting Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup final today at the Emirates Stadium. It's a friendly trophy, but Mikel Arteta's side don't treat it that way — they've won all four editions played under him and could make it ten Emirates Cup titles overall in the tournament's 15th staging.
A Winning Habit
The Emirates Cup was once Arsenal's most notable piece of silverware during the trophy-light "banter years" of 2007-2010, but Arteta has turned it into a personal stronghold. He beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to win last year's edition, eased past Lyon 2-0 in 2024, edged out Monaco on penalties in 2023, and thumped Sevilla 6-0 in 2022. His predecessor, Unai Emery, lost his only Emirates Cup match back in 2019 — a reminder of how far the club has come.
That perfect record is under a bit of pressure after a bumpy pre-season. Arsenal cruised past MK Dons and Girona by three goals apiece, but individual defensive errors cost them in a surprise 3-1 loss to Real Betis in midweek. Today is their penultimate chance to find rhythm again before Como visit next week and Manchester City await in the Community Shield on August 16.
Dortmund's form has been similarly mixed under Niko Kovac: two wins, two losses across four friendlies, including contrasting 1-0 results in Japan — a loss to Cerezo Osaka followed by a win over FC Tokyo thanks to a Fabio Silva goal. Dortmund finished second in the Bundesliga last season and have their own cup date with Bayern Munich later this month in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup.
Team News
Arsenal will be without Vinicius Junior, who chose a new Real Madrid contract over interest from the Gunners. Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes are back after Brazil's World Cup run, though young midfielder Louie Copley is a doubt after a serious-looking injury in midweek. Captain Martin Odegaard has returned from holiday and could make his first pre-season appearance off the bench.
Dortmund have their own injury concerns in midfield — Carney Chukwuemeka went off early against FC Tokyo with a recurring knee issue, and long-term absentees Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck remain out. If Chukwuemeka can't play, 18-year-old signing Konstantinos Karetsas could make his Dortmund debut.
Possible Arsenal XI: Meslier; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapie; Vieira, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz; Dowman, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Possible Dortmund XI: Drewes; Reggiani, Anton, Ritter; Svensson, Bellingham, Nmecha, Beier; Silva, Karetsas; Guirassy
The Prediction
Arsenal have historically raised their game when there's an Emirates Cup on the line, and the Betis defeat looked more like a case of individual mistakes than a deeper problem. If they tighten up at the back, the Premier League champions should be well placed to defend home advantage and add another trophy to the cabinet — even if it's just a pre-season one.