Arsenal have announced the teams that will make the journey to London to play this season’s Emirates Cup.
Spanish side Villarreal, Olympique Lyonnais, and Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg will battle it out for pre-season’s thirteenth most prestigious trophy.
The games will take place on July 25th and 26th with two games each day. The inclusion of Wolfsburg means a return home for The Greatest Striker That Ever Lived, Nicklas Bendnter, assuming he hasn’t been sold after a season in which he’s scored just 5 times.
Current Arsenal player, Joel Campbell, is on loan at Villarreal and there are some suggestions he might make that move permanent in the summer too.
And the French side currently have a couple of players heavily linked with the Gunners. Forward Alexandre Lacazette and winger Nabil Fekir are reportedly on Arsene Wenger’s summer radar.
Full details and ticket information available via the official site.
We had better give Lord Bendtner the hero’s welcome that he deserves.
Every blade of grass TGSTEL’s cleat touches at the Emirates shall henceforth turn into a diamond studded mahogany treasure that will then be donated back to his majesty – TGSTEL.
The circle Obi Wan spoke of is finally complete.
How are the taxi drivers of Wolfsburg these days, I wonder ?
Five Goals ! Is that all ? I heard he started out quite brightly; so was it injury or a predictable collapse in ‘form’ that did for him ?
But not the one he needs right now..
Don’t think I’ll bother going this year. Not exactly an inspiring lineup is it
The second best sides in Germany and France along with one of the better sides from Spain?
You must really hate football.
Wolfsburg 2nd best by a long distance in Germany, Monaco are the 2nd best in France and Villareal are nowhere near the class of Barca and the Madrid sides. Apologies if this lineup doesnt excite me but we are Arsenal and I would love to see some real top class sides pre-season at the Emirates.
ever strike you that top sides usually don’t make pre season trips unless its for commercial reasons?
Villareal play some excellent football. Also it’s really worth remembering that the top sides in Spain have proven themselves to be really quite good compared to the top sides in England recently, so just because they’re fighting for a Europa league spot does not put them on par with Spurs or Liverpool. Also I’m pretty sure Wolfsburg are second in the Bundesliga? Which, when you consider Bayern are in a league of their own anyway, is effectively the same as winning the competitive element of the Bundesliga. France isn’t my speciality but Lyon aren’t doing too terribly either are they?… Read more »
is funny how some ppl understimate so much leagues like Ligue 1 and bundesliga. Wolfsburg is a very good team, they’re on the rise on germany (alongside Gladbach) and they thrashed the big gun there (Bayern), Wolfsburg is a way better team than monaco. Lyon is a team arising again in the Ligue 1, so they sholdnt be underrated (we seem to have the bad habit of underrating every team not called Arsenal…). Villareal isnt a bad team in anyway, they, alongside Sevilla, Valencia and Bilbao are sure, the 2nd tier teams in Spain, but all of them would give… Read more »
On the other hand, if these clubs you think are so shit really are, maybe we’ll win da ting?
A chance for Wenger and co to watch the likes of Lacazette and Fekir live at the Emirates and maybe sign one of them up.
A reunion for Gabriel.
AND a reunion for Bendtner, TGSTE?!
It just can’t get any better!
Lol, imagine if the transfer negotiations were:
“Here’s the money and a spot in the Emirates cup for Gabriel”
“Here’s TGSTEL and a spot in the Emirates cup and forget the money”
A chance for wenger to resing tgstel
I’d rather not watch Wenger do that live.
On a less prurient note, I wonder, out of curiosity, if we’ve ever bought a player in the summer from a team participating in [that summer’s] Emirates Cup…?
the return of the king! will they finish the statue in time???
The bronze in all the lands will have run out by the time the requisite statue for his greatness could be considered ‘finished’.
bronze? how *dare* you insult TGSTEL by suggesting the use of such common metal! the plinth alone will be the size of ten north banks and made from rare quartz obtained from meteorites that have travelled billions of miles through space, symbolising the journey of TGSTEL. the statue will of course be gold – what else would reflect his glory? detailing to be provided by a range of rare stones, metals and other valuable materials. his eyes will be lazer beams viewable from space. a pizza restaurant will operate in his revolving head, and an olympic-size swimming pool will open… Read more »
Omg. This totally killed me. Lol
I see what they did here. A testimonial for Nick and a 45 min showing for Lacazette before we capture him in halftime and lock him up in Arsene’s office. Well played
Will be an honour to see TGSTEK at the Emirates again.
TGSTEL*
He returns, as was foretold.
that has got to be the softest group of teams we’ve yet hosted but that’s almost a better way to warm up. still, in bloody melbourne they’re hosting a 4 team tournament of real madrid, roma, city and the local side. not a bad lazy sunday.
Hopefully lacazette will say to himself “holy shit I want to play for this club”as he walks onto the pitch
Even better if we have already signed him by then as he lines up infringement of his old team mates, already versed in the Arsenal way of playing from the whole pre season
Yeah that would be sweet
Could anyone explain what criteria do they use to chose these teams in each year? Are they chosen by Arsenal or the sponsor (Emirates)? No pun intended, just curiosity.
The criteria this year seems to have been to give us a chance of winning it for a change.
Mick Bendtnaaaaarrrrr
I’ve always felt the Emirates Cup should be played by the teams sponsored by the Emirates. Rotate venue.
Arsenal, Real Madrid, PSG…. and Hamburger.
Play it in Doha or Dubai, Now that would be an Emirates cup
AC Milan?
but… Emirates Stadium ?
Be good to see TGSTEL again……just keep him away from the swimming pool doors.
And taxi doors.
And pizza shop doors.
Bendtner to play for Arsenal for 45 minutes and same for VFL wolfsburg and score a hattrick both halves. i mean only TGSTEL can right?
Lacazette is worth a look at.
he could provide some width but also add as a false nine up front for us should Walcott leave. He is an alternative to someone like Dybala.
Also interesting to watch Gonalons who could come in for Arteta should he retire and add height to combat Fellaini situations. Another alternative Kongdogbia whom we saw with Monaco.
Am I the only one who thinks “gonads” whenever they see the word “Gonalons”?
Lacazette is a striker, not a winger.
Villarreal are actually a good team, it’s the clubs lower down in the table that give La Liga the reputation of being weak. Their defence is good, and the fact that Musacchio is widely considered a better defender than Gabriel (at least for now) tells you how good he is. Denis Cheryshev is a very good, tricky winger that could trouble our defence, and Vietto is quite a good striker too. Wolfsburg are a very good team, certainly better than Monaco (*cough, cough*). Knoche is one of the best young Bundesliga CBs, and Naldo has been superb this season. They… Read more »
It took us three + years to get rid of Nicklas!
What makes Wolfsburg think they can do it in one???