Arsenal 2-3 Borussia Dortmund: Gunners Beaten In First Emirates Cup Encounter At The Emirates Stadium

The Premier League champions Arsenal lost 2-3 in their latest pre-season friendly for the Emirates Cup, played at home against German side Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium. Ahead of kick-off the club unveiled new signing Bruno Guimaraes, who arrived from Newcastle United during the week, while the side also included fellow summer signing Christos Tzolis.

Things did not improve from Wednesday night's 3-1 defeat in Dublin, as the Gunners were beaten again in a pre-season friendly, this time by a Borussia Dortmund side that won convincingly through goals from Samuele Inacio in the 7th minute, Konstantino Karetsas in the 29th minute, and Joane Dadou, who made it 1-3 in the 58th minute. Arsenal's goals came from substitute Ethan Nwaneri in the 54th minute and Viktor Gyokeres from the penalty spot in the 69th. It was the 20th year the Emirates Cup has been staged at the Emirates Stadium, signalling that the new Premier League season is almost upon us.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta started with a 4-3-3 formation: Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, a back four of Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori, a midfield three of captain Martin Odegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Kai Havertz, and a front three of Max Dowman, Viktor Gyokeres and Christos Tzolis. Arsenal included four players in the starting line-up who featured at the FIFA World Cup during the summer.

Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac set his side up in a 3-4-2-1, with Alexander Meyler in goal behind a back three of Joane Gadou, Filippo Mane and Ramy Bensebaini, a four-man midfield of Daniel Svensson, Jobe Bellingham, captain Felix Nmecha and Maximilian Beier, and Konstantino Karetsas and Samuele Inacio playing behind Fabio Silva up front.

Arsenal started the game well and pressed the German side early on, but Borussia Dortmund opened the scoring through Samuele Inacio, who finished from close range with a right-footed shot from 10 yards in the 7th minute to make it 0-1, assisted by captain Felix Nmecha's through ball.

Martin Odegaard was fouled by Filippo Mane and referee Chris Kavanagh awarded Arsenal a free-kick on the edge of the Borussia Dortmund penalty area in the 16th minute, but Viktor Gyokeres fired the resulting effort high and wide in the 17th minute.

In the 26th minute, a fine run down the right by Max Dowman found Gyokeres in the box, but his right-footed shot from 12 yards struck the crossbar and went out of play.

Borussia Dortmund doubled their lead in the 29th minute through a smart, unchallenged left-footed finish from Konstantino Karetsas, assisted by Daniel Svensson, to make it 0-2. Martin Odegaard was replaced by Ethan Nwaneri in the 33rd minute as Mikel Arteta began making positional changes and resting players.

Arsenal went close from a corner in the 39th minute when a Gabriel header whistled over the crossbar, and Kai Havertz headed on target in the 43rd minute from a Dowman centre, but Meyler saved well to deny Arsenal a goal before the break. Borussia Dortmund led 0-2 at half-time against an Arsenal side that had struggled to get going in the opening 45 minutes.

Arteta replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga with Illan Meslier at half-time, while Borussia Dortmund brought on Carney Chukwuemeka for Konstantino Karetsas, both changes made in the 46th minute.

Arsenal were sluggish in the first half but improved after the break, pulling a goal back in the 54th minute through a left-footed finish from 12 yards by Ethan Nwaneri, assisted by Christos Tzolis, to make it 1-2. Borussia Dortmund responded in the 58th minute, going further ahead through a close-range finish from Joane Gadou to make it 1-3.

Borussia Dortmund made four substitutions in the 59th and 60th minutes, bringing on Serhou Guirassy, Kaua Prates, Marcel Sabitzer and Mathias Albert for Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Konstantino Karetsas and Fabio Silva. Arsenal replaced Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori with Piero Hincapie and Marli Salmon in the 60th minute.

Arsenal were awarded a penalty in the 67th minute after a foul, and Viktor Gyokeres stepped up to slot the ball home in the 69th minute, making it 2-3. Arteta then made a raft of changes, bringing on Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Josh Ogunnaike, Ife Ibrahim, Theo Julienne, Ceadach O'Neill and Fabio Vieira for Viktor Gyokeres, Christos Tzolis, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ben White, Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera. Borussia Dortmund's only remaining substitution saw Daniel Svensson replaced by Takato Yamamoto in the first minute of stoppage time.

Arsenal pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not find a third goal, and Borussia Dortmund held on to win 3-2 in the latest instalment of the Emirates Cup in London N5. A penalty shoot-out took place at the end for practice, which Arsenal won 5-4. Arsenal now host Como 1907 on Wednesday night in the second match of the Emirates Cup 2026.

Half Time: Arsenal 0 Borussia Dortmund 2 (2 minutes added time) Full Time: Arsenal 2 Borussia Dortmund 3 (5 minutes added time)