Borussia Dortmund beat Arsenal 3-2 in the 2026 Emirates Cup final at the Emirates Stadium, though Arsenal won a later penalty shootout 5-4. The match was played on Sunday, 9 August 2026.
Final Score And Match Summary
Dortmund took a fast start and led 2-0 at half time. Arsenal fought back in the second half but could not save the game in normal time. Samuele Inácio opened the scoring for Dortmund, and Konstantinos Karetsas doubled the lead with a long-range strike before the break. Ethan Nwaneri pulled one back for Arsenal after the interval, but Dortmund restored their two-goal advantage through Joane Gadou. Viktor Gyökeres converted a penalty to make it 3-2, and Arsenal pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing minutes (ESPN).
A late goal from Gabriel Martinelli, which would have levelled the score, was ruled out and the match ended in a 3-2 win for Dortmund (Outlook India).
Match Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | 2026 Emirates Cup Final |
| Date | Sunday, 9 August 2026 |
| Venue | Emirates Stadium, London |
| Final Score | Arsenal 2-3 Borussia Dortmund |
| Penalty Shootout | Arsenal won 5-4 |
| Arsenal Manager | Mikel Arteta |
| Dortmund Manager | Niko Kovač |
This information is confirmed by match coverage from (VAVEL).
Goal Timeline
Dortmund broke the deadlock in the 7th minute when Samuele Inácio capitalised on a defensive mistake, with the assist coming from Felix Nmecha. Dortmund doubled their lead in the 29th minute through Konstantinos Karetsas, who curled a long-range shot into the net after a pass from Daniel Svensson (Heavy.com).
Arsenal responded in the second half. Ethan Nwaneri scored in the 54th minute following good work from Christos Tzolis. Dortmund then extended their lead again before Viktor Gyökeres scored from the penalty spot in the 69th minute after Tzolis was fouled in the box (ESPN).
Arsenal Starting Lineup
Arsenal lined up in a 4-3-3 formation. Kepa Arrizabalaga started in goal, with Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhães and Riccardo Calafiori forming the back four. Martin Ødegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Kai Havertz played in midfield, while Max Dowman, Viktor Gyökeres and Christos Tzolis led the attack (FotMob).
Several senior Arsenal players were unavailable for this match. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi were all missing after extended breaks following the World Cup. William Saliba and Jurriën Timber were also absent due to injury (Sports Illustrated).
Borussia Dortmund Starting Lineup
Dortmund set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation under head coach Niko Kovač. Jobe Bellingham was named in the starting eleven, and Konstantinos Karetsas made his Dortmund debut in this match after his move from Genk (Just Arsenal).
Dortmund were missing several players through injury. Centre back Nico Schlotterbeck was unavailable after an ankle problem picked up at the World Cup, and Emre Can remained out after tearing his ACL in February. Carney Chukwuemeka was also a doubt after picking up a knee issue against FC Tokyo (Pain In The Arsenal).
Head-To-Head Record
Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have a long history in the Champions League, especially during the early 2010s. The two clubs have met eight times in competitive football, with Arsenal winning the most recent encounter 2-0 in 2014. Yaya Sanogo and Alexis Sánchez scored the goals in that match (K24 Digital).
Context Before The Match
This fixture was Arsenal’s first home match since being crowned Premier League champions, and the club presented new signing Bruno Guimarães to fans before kick-off, though he was not part of the matchday squad (Heavy.com).
Arsenal had also lost 3-1 to Real Betis in their previous friendly, so this match gave the squad a chance to respond before facing Como and then Manchester City in the Community Shield on 16 August 2026 (Sports Mole).
Dortmund’s pre-season form had been mixed heading into the match. Their four warm-up games produced two wins and two losses, including a win over Rot-Weiss Oberhausen and a loss to Fortuna Düsseldorf, before results in Japan against Cerezo Osaka and FC Tokyo (K24 Digital).
Where The Match Was Shown
The match was streamed through Arsenal’s official website and the Arsenal app. Fans in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka could also watch through FanCode and on Arsenal’s official YouTube channel (Sunday Guardian Live).
