Arsenal will return to competitive action at the Emirates Stadium for the first time since being crowned Premier League champions when they host Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, August 9, in the latest edition of the Emirates Cup. Kick-off is set for 2pm BST, and the occasion is expected to include a special celebration involving players, staff and supporters to mark the club's title-winning campaign.
The fixture continues the tournament's recent format of a single showpiece match, with Arsenal chasing a fifth consecutive Emirates Cup success. Despite being a pre-season friendly, Mikel Arteta's side will want to make a statement in front of their own fans as newly-crowned champions.
Dortmund arrive in London on the back of a mixed pre-season, having lost twice in four outings against Fortuna and Cerezo Osaka. The German side will be without new arrival Konstantinos Karetsas, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, while defender Nico Schlotterbeck continues his recovery from the issue that cut short his World Cup campaign with Germany during the group stage.
For Arsenal, big-money target Bruno Guimaraes looks set to miss out on making his debut, with his reported £75million transfer from Newcastle still not officially completed. Captain Martin Odegaard, however, is back in training following his mandatory post-season break and is expected to feature for around half an hour, in line with the gradual reintegration pattern Arteta has followed with senior players during pre-season.
There could also be home debuts for summer signings Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier, with the latter potentially handed a start in goal ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga as Arteta continues to assess his options between the posts.
Arteta reportedly expressed frustration with his side's first-half display in a recent pre-season outing against Real Betis, suggesting he will be keen to see an improved response from his players against Dortmund, particularly with supporters watching on at their home ground for the first time since the title was secured.
Sunday's meeting will be the first between the two clubs since November 2014, when Arteta himself captained Arsenal in the fixture. The clubs faced each other six times across a three-year period in the Champions League group stages prior to that, with Arsenal winning four of those encounters, Dortmund three, and one ending level.
The match will not be broadcast live on UK television. Supporters can instead follow the action through Arsenal's official website and app, with a pay-per-view option priced at £6.99, or a bundle covering the club's entire pre-season schedule available for £14.99.
While the result carries little competitive weight given the nature of pre-season fixtures, both sides will be using the occasion to build fitness and combinations ahead of the new campaign, with squad rotation and gradual increases in playing time likely to shape team selections for both managers.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.