ARSENAL welcome La Liga side Athletic Club as the Emirates Cup returns for the fourth consecutive year since COVID-19.
The Emirates Cup acts as Arsenal’s annual pre-season friendly competition on their home turf.
GettyTeen wonderkid Max Dowman, 15, is set to feature for Arsenal[/caption]
APWhile Nico Williams could star for the visitors[/caption]
Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, the Gunners have invited teams from around the world to play at the Emirates Stadium with a trophy on the line.
Over the years, European heavyweights such as Real Madrid, PSG and Inter Milan have participated in the competition.
A total of 23 different sides, including Arsenal themselves, have made an appearance.
In 2019, the structure of the cup changed, favouring a one-off game between two sides in a final rather than a group-stage style consisting of four teams.
New Arsenal signings Victor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke could both be deployed in the Emirates Cup final with both players awaiting their first Premier League game for the club.
Their opponents Athletic Club will be making their first ever appearance in the competition.
What other teams have won the Emirates Cup?
Predictably, Arsenal have won the most Emirates Cups – winning the event eight times.
However, they have not always had it their way on home turf.
Five other teams have won the competition, despite the club from North London being the only one to have won it on multiple occasions.
Hamburger SV became the first foreign side to win the Cup in 2008, impressively beating a tough group consisting of the hosts, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Three years later, former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry would return to North London and lift the Emirates Cup with New York Red Bulls.
To this day the MLS side are still the only non-European club to be invited to participate in the tournament.
Arsenal would fail to retain the cup for a further four years after the American club stole it from under their noses in 2011.
Galatasaray would win the trophy with the help of Didier Drogba in 2013, then Valencia became triumphant in 2014 under the guidance of manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The new format arrived in 2019 and a one-off game between Arsenal and Lyon was announced.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal for the hosts was cancelled out in a 2-1 win for the French side – Lyon becoming the last team to take the cup from Arsenal.
When is the Emirates Cup 2025?
The Emirates Cup 2025 will take place on Saturday, August 9, with Arsenal taking on Athletic Club.
Kick-Off at the Emirates will be at 5pm BST.
The match will be broadcast live via PPV on arsenal.com for subscribers.
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