Arsenal play host to the Emirates Cup on Saturday afternoon, with Athletic Club aiming to become the first visiting winners since Lyon in 2019.
The Gunners have won this preseason duel three years running, and have triumphed in eight of the 13 iterations since the competition’s inception in 2007. It was once a four-team tournament, but only two teams compete now.
Mikel Arteta has overseen an up-and-down summer in terms of results, with defeats arriving against Tottenham Hotspur and, most recently, Villarreal. Arsenal have beaten AC Milan and Newcastle United, though.
Still, with the new Premier League season just a week out and the Gunners hopeful of going one step beyond in 2025–26, supporters will want to enjoy a convincing performance from their side here.
They’re taking on an Athletic Club outfit that finished fourth in La Liga last season, and were Europa League semifinalists. Despite retaining the services of star winger Nico Williams, the visitors have had a nightmare preseason on the pitch.
They’ve lost their previous five games, including both fixtures with Liverpool on Monday.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the Emirates Cup.
What Time Does Arsenal vs. Athletic Club Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Emirates Stadium
- Date: Saturday, August 9
- Kick-off Time: 5 p.m. BST / 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT
Arsenal vs. Athletic Club Head-to-Head Record (All Games)
This is the first meeting between Arsenal and Athletic Club.
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Arsenal vs. Athletic Club on TV
Arsenal Team News
Arteta included Viktor Gyökeres in his starting lineup for the first time against Villarreal, with the Swede coming in for the absent Kai Havertz.
The German is expected to make his return this weekend, and the Arsenal boss is hopeful that Leandro Trossard and Riccardo Calafiori will also be fit to make their respective comebacks.
Gabriel and Jurrien Timber earned their first minutes of preseason after sustaining injuries at the end of last season. The former has been out since April with a hamstring injury, while Timber has been sidelined since May.
Noni Madueke was the sixth new signing to make their debut for the club this summer, with the former Chelsea winger featuring off the bench against Villarreal.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Athletic Club
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Athletic Club (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyökeres, Martinelli
Athletic Club Team News
Ernesto Valverde split his first-team squad into two for Monday’s double-header against Liverpool, with his teams succumbing to a pair of defeats.
The Athletic boss should opt for a close-to-full-strength starting XI, one that is set to include the Williams brothers. However, the visitors are without star midfielder Oihan Sancet, who picked up a knee injury in Monday’s clash at Anfield. The Spaniard is poised to miss the start of the upcoming campaign.
Benat Prados misses out due to a thigh injury, while Unai Eguiluz is a long-term absentee. He won’t make his first appearance of 2025–26 until the new year.
Athletic Club Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal
Athletic Club predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Simón; Areso, Lekue, Vivian, Gómez; Galarreta, Jauregizar; I. Williams, Berenguer, N. Williams; Guruzeta
Arsenal vs. Athletic Club Score Prediction
It hasn’t been a convincing summer for Arsenal thus far, with Arteta needing to bed in several fresh faces. His game model is expected to change as a result of Gyökeres’s arrival, with the Gunners poised to become more direct and vertical.
That, however, could compromise their defensive security, and they’ve been run ragged in transition at times in preseason. The ease at which Villarreal broke for their third goal on Wednesday should be a serious cause for concern.
Athletic boast a distinct threat out wide, and proved proficient from set-pieces at Anfield on Monday, but the absence of Sancet is significant. Moreover, they’ve so far struggle to earn a positive result in preseason, and expecting them to do so at the Emirates is a big ask.
Prediction: Arsenal 2–1 Athletic Club
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal vs. Athletic Club: Emirates Cup Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
