Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund: Preseason Friendly Preview Arsenal will host Borussia Dortmund in a preseason friendly at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The match marks their first home game since securing the Premier League title last season. Manager Mikel Arteta revealed his players were “fuming” after being defeated 3–1 by Real Betis in their previous friendly, a setback following a 4–1 victory over Girona in their first overseas friendly of the summer. Arteta will demand a strong response, even if the game is purely for pride. Dortmund, meanwhile, have returned from a summer tour in Japan, where they lost 1–0 to Cerezo Osaka before defeating FC Tokyo by the same scoreline. This will be their fifth friendly of the summer, but they have yet to face an opponent as formidable as Arsenal. The German side will be without several key players due to injuries and transfer market departures. Arsenal’s squad remains depleted as they recover from the physical toll of the World Cup. The Gunners are without injured defenders William Saliba and Jurriën Timber, while young midfielder Louie Copley is likely to miss the game after a concerning knee injury against Betis. Despite these absences, Arteta has options to call upon, including captain Martin Ødegaard, who may make his first appearance of the summer. Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli, who made brief cameos against Betis, are expected to play significant roles. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s error-strewn performance in Dublin could prompt Arteta to experiment with summer signing Illan Meslier in goal. Dortmund’s lineup is also affected by long-term injuries, with center back Nico Schlotterbeck sidelined due to an ankle issue sustained during the World Cup. Emre Can is also unavailable after tearing his ACL in late February.#arsenal #mikel_arteta #borussia_dortmund #konstantinos_karetsas #emre_can
