Arsenal lose home Emirates Cup for first time since 2019
The Gunners were defeated by Borussia Dortmund in regulation time but won a scheduled penalty shootout.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Ank kumar
Arsenal were defeated by Borussia Dortmund in the traditional Emirates Cup pre-season tournament. This result marks a rare setback for the Gunners, as they had not lost a home match in this competition since 2019, when they fell to French side Lyon (1:2).
The German visitors started strongly. Samuele Inacio opened the scoring, and shortly after, Constantino Karetsas doubled the lead with a curling effort. The hosts responded through young talent Ethan Nwaneri, who scored following a clever combination involving Christos Tzolis. However, Dortmund restored their cushion when Joan Gado headed home from a corner.
Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres set the final score in regulation time by coolly converting a penalty won by Tzolis, ending the game at 2:3. Per a pre-match agreement between the clubs, a penalty shootout was held regardless of the result. Mikel Arteta's side prevailed 5:4 in the spot-kick contest, with Matias Albert the only player to miss.
Both teams are now focusing on their upcoming official campaigns. Arsenal will face Italian club Como on August 12 before taking on Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on August 16.