Arsenal return to the Emirates Stadium against Borussia Dortmund, with Mikel Arteta looking for a response before the Community Shield.
The Gunners are back at the Emirates on Sunday, and there’s more on the line than just another pre-season trophy.
Borussia Dortmund are the first visitors to North London since Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy, but any thoughts of celebration are on hold for now. The 3-1 defeat to Real Betis on Wednesday left Mikel Arteta frustrated, particularly with how his side defended their own box.
There were moments when the Gunners moved the ball well, but the mistakes proved costly.
Arsenal will be looking for an immediate response in front of their own supporters, although Dortmund should provide another demanding test. Niko Kovac’s side have had their own ups and downs this pre-season, but they bring enough pace and attacking threat to punish any repeat of Wednesday’s errors before Como arrive at the Emirates and the Community Shield against Manchester City follows.
Arsenal Team News
Arteta has spent much of the summer working with a squad split by different return dates after the World Cup.
Several senior internationals were still absent against Betis, while others had only recently returned to training. The manager said after the game that four players had joined the group three days earlier and that around half of his squad was yet to be fully reintegrated.
That picture should start to shift against Dortmund.
Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke were among the senior players unavailable in Dublin. Martin Ødegaard had resumed individual work, while Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli returned in time to feature from the bench against Betis.
Rice, in particular, has already told his manager he wants to be considered as soon as he reports back.
“When I speak to Declan, he is already talking, ‘okay, if I come this day, then I can play (then)’, and the rest the same,” Arteta said.
Sunday might come a little early for some of the returning players to start, but even short cameos would help Arteta edge closer to the line-up he wants when the real action begins.
Those who have shouldered most of the early pre-season minutes, Viktor Gyökeres, Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis, Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly are likely to remain central to Arteta’s plans for now, having picked up valuable game time against Girona and Betis.
Now it’s up to Arteta to judge how quickly he can ramp up the demands on his squad.
Hale Ender, Louie Copley, will miss out after picking up a worrying injury in Dublin. Arteta admitted the early signs were not encouraging, and Arsenal are still waiting on further assessment.
Borussia Dortmund Form and Team News
Dortmund’s pre-season has been a mixed bag so far, with two wins and two defeats from their four matches.
They started with a 3-1 win over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, then slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Fortuna Düsseldorf. On their tour of Japan, Dortmund lost narrowly to Cerezo Osaka before edging FC Tokyo by the same scoreline.
Fabio Silva scored the winner in Tokyo and was one of Dortmund’s livelier attackers throughout the match. Jobe Bellingham also helped create an early opening, while Felix Nmecha, Maxi Beier, Waldemar Anton and Daniel Svensson made their first starts of the summer after returning later from international duty.
Carney Chukwuemeka remains a doubt after going off injured in the first half in Tokyo. Dortmund are yet to confirm if he’ll be fit in time for the trip to London.
Serhou Guirassy remains the clearest threat at centre-forward. The striker gives Dortmund a focal point capable of occupying both centre-backs, while Silva, Beier and Bellingham offer movement around him.
Kovac has also taken the chance to look at some of Dortmund’s younger faces. Justin Lerma and Takato Yamamoto both found the net on debut against Oberhausen, adding extra competition to a squad still working its way back to full strength.
What To Expect
All eyes will be on how Arsenal respond to their defeat against Betis.
Arteta felt his team played well for periods against Betis but did not compete properly around their own box. A set-piece error and two giveaways left Arsenal 3-1 down before half-time.
The Gunners were left angry in the aftermath. “They are fuming,” Arteta said. “But this is good. That’s what we need.”
Dortmund are well placed to test whether the Gunners have learned their lesson. Guirassy will battle for every cross into the area, and Dortmund’s runners are quick to pounce when the ball turns over.
The shape of Arsenal’s midfield is another subplot to watch.
Lewis-Skelly, Havertz and Nwaneri formed the midfield trio against Betis, but with Rice, Ødegaard and other senior names returning, the balance could soon shift. Arteta will likely opt for a gradual reintroduction rather than a full overhaul in one go.
Tzolis has already shown glimpses of what he can bring to Arsenal through the opening pre-season matches, scoring against Girona and set up Piero Hincapié’s header in Dublin. His direct running stands out, but the next step will be forging connections with the senior attackers as they return.
Gyökeres is still waiting for his first pre-season goal. His movement has opened up chances, but Arsenal haven’t always picked him out early enough. If Kovac sticks with a three-man defence, it should be a good test of Gyökeres’ ability to occupy centre-backs and create space for runners around him.
Then there’s the occasion itself.
It’s Arsenal’s first game back at the Emirates since clinching the title. The trophy will be on show, but Arteta will be more interested in seeing his side take another step towards the new season, rather than getting caught up in the celebrations.
Recent Meetings
Arsenal and Dortmund a very familiar with one another, the clubs met six times in the Champions League between 2011 and 2014 alone.
The Gunners won three of those games, Dortmund won two and the other ended in a draw. Their most recent meeting came in November 2014, when Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sánchez scored in Arsenal's 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.
More than ten years on, both clubs return as established Champions League sides, each gearing up for another demanding campaign.
When Is Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund?
The Emirates Cup will be played at the Emirates Stadium and continues a competition first staged in 2007. Arsenal are seeking to retain the trophy after beating Athletic Club 3-0 in last summer’s edition.
How to Watch Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal’s Emirates Cup game against Borussia Dortmund will be available for free on the club’s official YouTube channel.
The stream will be available in all territories apart from a small number of restricted markets listed by Arsenal.
That is a change from earlier in pre-season, when matches had initially been sold through Arsenal’s website and app. Technical problems with the club’s streaming service during the Girona game led Arsenal to move that fixture onto YouTube, and the Dortmund match will now also be shown there free of charge.
Prediction
Neither side is at full strength yet, and both have shown their vulnerabilities in pre-season.
Arsenal should look sharper as senior players return, and the home crowd will be expecting a reaction after the Betis loss. Dortmund have enough attacking quality to get on the scoresheet, but Arteta’s side ought to create more than they managed in Dublin.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Borussia Dortmund.