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Arsenal bring their pre-season campaign to an end as they host La Liga side Athletic Bilbao in the Emirates Cup on Saturday afternoon.
Returning to home action last time out, the Gunners failed to impress in front of their fans as they lost 3-2 to Villarreal. Former record signing Nicolas Pepe and youngster Karl Etta Eyong had the Yellow Submarine in control in the first half and despite fightbacks from Mikel Arteta's side, the visitors took the victory.
Bilbao also fell to defeat in their latest outing, losing a double-header game against Liverpool. Taking on the Premier League champions twice in the space of three hours, the Spanish side lost 4-1 and 3-2.
Arteta will be hoping his side can bounce back from two consecutive pre-season defeats as they look to end their pre-season with a win. Arsenal will also have the chance to win their ninth Emirates Cup, having won the last three editions against Sevilla, Monaco and Lyon.
Here's our preview of Arsenal's clash with Athletic Bilbao.
Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao: Preview, Prediction & Lineups
What time does Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao kick off?
Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao kicks off on Saturday 9 August at 17:00 BST.
- When is kick off? Saturday 9 August, 2025
- What time is kick off? 17:00 BST
- Where is it played? Emirates Stadium
Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao head-to-head record
Arsenal have never faced Athletic Bilbao with this matchup set to be the first ever meeting between the two sides.
How to watch Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Arsenal.com (Pre-Season Pass) |
Arsenal team news
Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber made their returns from injury against Villarreal and are likely to be involved in some capacity once again on Saturday.
Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori all missed Wednesday's defeat, but are hoping to be fit for the matchup with Villarreal. Their respective comebacks could mean potential shifts to the attacking and defensive set-up.
New signing Viktor Gyokeres is likely to continue in the starting XI and will be looking to be among the goals after a frustrating display last time out. Youngster Max Dowman could be in contention to play a bigger role following another impressive display.
Athletic Bilbao team news
Having had a quiet summer, Athletic Bilbao will boast just one new signing for their trip to the Emirates, in the form of right back Jesus Areso.
The Spanish side's frontline is likely to feature the Williams brothers Inaki and Nico. The latter had been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, but opted against a move away from his boyhood club, instead signing a new long-term contract.
Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao score prediction
Arsenal have fallen on hard times in the past week, losing successive games to Tottenham and Villarreal, so will be desperately looking to bounce back as they aim to end pre-season with a victory.
Bilbao find themselves in a similar situation, having lost their previous five friendly meetings and winning just one game throughout their entire pre-season campaign.
Both sides will be raring to go as they look to conclude their season preparations positively, but the Gunners should be the victors on Saturday. Their backline that is currently suffering with inconsistency will have to deal with Bilbao's deadly attacking force so they may have their work cut out for them. However, Arsenal can cause their own problems at the other end of the pitch.
It will be a tight game and potentially an erratic one, but Arsenal will be the ones to come away with the Emirates Cup trophy.