Borussia Dortmund defeated Arsenal 3–2 at the Emirates Stadium to claim the 2026 Emirates Cup
Goals from Samuele Inácio, Konstantinos Karetsas, and Joane Gadou secured the win despite replies from Ethan Nwaneri and Viktor Gyökeres
Arsenal won the subsequent pre-arranged practice penalty shootout 5–4 after Illan Meslier denied Mathis Albert
Emirates Cup 2026: Borussia Dortmund Clinch Pre-Season Title With 3-2 Victory, Arsenal Secure Penalty Shootout Win
Borussia Dortmund held off a late Arsenal surge to secure a 3-2 victory and claim the Emirates Cup at the Emirates Stadium. Despite the regular-time loss, Arsenal bounced back to win the pre-arranged practice penalty shootout 5-4
Summary
Arsenal's defense of the Emirates Cup came to a halt on August 9, 2026, as a vibrant Borussia Dortmund side secured an entertaining 3–2 victory at the Emirates Stadium. The pre-season showdown served as Arsenal’s first home appearance since being crowned Premier League champions, providing a celebratory backdrop that was quickly challenged by a fearless visiting lineup under new manager Niko Kovač.
Dortmund stunned the home crowd early by capitalizing on defensive lapses. In the 7th minute, Felix Nmecha unlocked the Arsenal defense with a clever through-ball, allowing 18-year-old Samuele Inácio to slot a clean, low finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The Gunners sought an equalizer through sustained possession, but Dortmund doubled their lead in the 29th minute through summer signing Konstantinos Karetsas. The young Greek playmaker drove into space and unleashed a magnificent left-footed curler into the top right corner.
Mikel Arteta’s side found a lifeline shortly after the half-time interval. Christos Tzolis engineered space down the flank to pick out Ethan Nwaneri, who finished comfortably from close range in the 54th minute. However, Dortmund restored their two-goal cushion just four minutes later when Joane Gadou reacted quickest to bundle home during a messy goalmouth scramble following a corner.
Though Borussia Dortmund had already sealed a 3–2 victory in regular time to claim the Emirates Cup, both teams proceeded with a pre-arranged post-match penalty shootout to get valuable spot-kick practice.
In the ensuing shootout drama, Arsenal converted all five of their attempts, with Gabriel Jesus, Fábio Vieira, Piero Hincapié, Gabriel Martinelli, and Ethan Nwaneri all successfully finding the net.
Illan Meslier came up with a crucial save to deny Dortmund's Mathis Albert, allowing the Gunners to take the shootout 5-4 and salvage some consolation pride despite losing the trophy.
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