Emirates Cup format explained: Arsenal fixtures, point system and past winners

As has become tradition since Arsenal moved from Highbury two decades ago now, the Gunners will conclude pre-season on home turf with a match in the Emirates Cup. This year's visitors to North London will be Borussia Dortmund, taking part for the first time, the fourth German outfit to feature. This will be the 15th edition of the competition, so what is the history behind the Emirates Cup?

Emirates Cup format (2007-2017)

For the first nine editions of the Emirates Cup, four teams would compete across a a weekend double-header playing two matches each, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. This was to help sides give a wide variety of squad members some much-needed minutes.

There was the usual three points for a win and one for a draw, but that was not all. Every goal was also worth a point, to add a bit of fun to pre-season. This led to the bizarre situation in 2017 when, despite winning both games, including beating Arsenal 2-1, Sevilla did not lift the trophy, with the Gunners doing so because they had demolished Benfica the previous day.

In this format, Arsenal were the winners on five occasions, but did not do so four times.

Emirates Cup results (four team format)

In more recent times, this format has been abandoned and just one game is played. Perhaps it is more difficult for the Gunners to attract three other high-quality opponents, or perhaps coaches and medical staff do not like the idea of playing games in back-to-back days but, from a pure nostalgia view point, and the novelty of seeing two matches, this is a shame.

The 2019 edition did include the first, and so far only, women's fixture, with Bayern Munich Frauen beating Arsenal 1-0. That aside, this will be the sixth time only one men's match is played, with the Gunners boasting a pretty imperious record.

Emirates Cup results (2019-2025)

• 2019: Arsenal 1-2 Olympique Lyonnais: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 35' .

• 2022: Arsenal 6-0 Sevilla: Saka 10' 19'. Jesus 13' 15' 77' Nketiah 89'.

• 2023: Arsenal 1-1 Monaco - Arsenal won 5-4 on penalties: Nketiah 43'.

• 2024: Arsenal 2-0 Olympique Lyonnais - Saliba 9' Gabriel 27'.

• 2025: Arsenal 3-0 Athletic Club - Arsenal also won 6-5 on penalties: Gyökeres 35' Saka 37' Havertz 82'.

Mikel Arteta's team have won the Emirates Cup in each of the last four years, memorably demolishing Sevilla 6-0 back in 2022 with the lineup that would then go on to be the springboard for their first title challenge. Similarly, last August, Viktor Gyökeres got off the mark with a header, which helped him score 14 Premier League goals in the title winning campaign.

Also, as happened last year, Arsenal have looked to include a penalty shootout wherever possible in pre-season as practice for when the serious business begins, so expect to see some of that across the Gunners' four-game pre-season schedule.

This year's opponents Borussia Dortmund are travelling to Japan before arriving in North London, facing Cerezo Ōsaka and then FC Tōkyō. Having finished second in the Bundesliga last season, die Schwarzgelben could also face Arsenal in the Champions League later down the line, and Niko Kovač's team will likely be the toughest test Arteta's side face in pre-season.

Arsenal's pre season fixtures

• Saturday 1 August: Girona -Montilivi, Catalonia. Kick off 7pm (BST).

• Wednesday 5 August: Real Betis - Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Kick off 7:30pm (BST).

• Sunday 9 August: Borussia Dortmund - Emirates Stadium, North London. Kick off 2pm (BST)

• Wednesday 12 August: Como - Emirates Stadium, North London. Kick off 7:30pm (BST)

When does Arsenal's Premier League season begin?

The Gunners' Premier League title defence, that sounds good doesn't it, begins against newly-promoted Coventry City in a Friday night fixture at the Emirates on 21 August. Before that, they will also face Enzo Maresca's Manchester City at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in the FA Community Shield. The match has been moved from Wembley because the venue was already booked by the the Weeknd as part of his After Hours til Dawn Tour. Great planning guys.

Thus, 25,000 Gooners will be heading to the Welsh capital, a venue at which they've won three FA Cups and two Community Shields previously.

Arsenal's first 8 competitive fixtures

• Sunday 16 August: Manchester City - Millennium Stadium. FA Community Shield. Kick off 3pm.

• Friday 21 August: Coventry City - Emirates Stadium. Premier League. Kick off 8pm.

• Monday 31 August: Aston Villa - Villa Park. Premier League. Kick off 8pm.

• Sunday 6 September: Chelsea - Emirates Stadium. Premier League. Kick off 4:30pm.

• 8-10 September: UEFA Champions League league phase matchday 1.

• Saturday 12 September: Sunderland - Stadium of Light. Premier League. Kick off 8pm.

• 15-16 September: Carabao Cup third round.

• Saturday 19 September: Brighton & Hove Albion - Amex Stadium. Premier League. Kick off 3pm.

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