The Gunners will look to head into the final week of pre-season in some form following impressive results and with transfers set to be completed
Arsenal face Lyon in the tenth edition of the Emirates Cup final, with the Gunners hoping to build on some promising results and the Ligue 1 side still looking for their first win of pre-season.
Victories over Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, plus a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in 90 minutes, have seen optimism steadily growing around Unai Emery’s side as they also look to close transfers for Nicolas Pepe and Kieran Tierney.
Loan signing Dani Ceballos could be set for his first outing, meanwhile, with the Emirates Stadium crowd eager to see their new man in action.
| Game | Arsenal vs Lyon |
| Date | Sunday, July 28 |
| Time | 3:15pm BST / 10:15am ET |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live on ESPN3 and streamed live on Watch ESPN.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN3 | Watch ESPN |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Premier Sports 1 and can be live streamed via Premier Player HD.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Premier Sports 1 | Premier Player HD |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Arsenal squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Leno, Martinez, Macey |
| Defenders | Bellerin, Sokratis, Koscielny, Holding, Monreal, Mustafi, Chambers, Jenkinson, Mavropanos, Kolasinac |
| Midfielders | Xhaka, Ceballos, Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Torreira, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Smith Rowe, Willock |
| Forwards | Aubameyang, Lacazette, Iwobi, Nelson, Nketiah, Martinelli, Asano |
Unai Emery is set for a boost in midfield with Dani Ceballos having joined in with training and Matteo Guendouzi returning after an extended break following the Under-21 European Championship.
Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac are expected to be fine to play after being attacked by a gang in London, though the pair are being offered psychological support by the club.
This could be an important game for the likes of Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with winger Nicolas Pepe expected to sign for a club-record fee in the coming days.
Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding and Emile Smith Rowe are all out.
| Position | Lyon squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Lopes, Tatarusanu, Racioppi |
| Defenders | Yanga-Mbiwa, Andersen, Rafael, Denayer, Marcelo, Dubois, Marcal, Tete, Solet, Kone |
| Midfielders | Aouar, Mendes, Lucas, Diop, Caqueret, Tousart |
| Forwards | Dembele, Terrier, Traore, Depay, Pinto, Gouiri, Cornet, Fofana |
Lyon manager Sylvinho could welcome back his key trio of France Under-21 stars Moussa Dembele, Houssem Aouar and Locas Tousart, though they may not be thrown straight in from the start.
This will be a new-look Lyon side with star players Nabil Fekir, Ferland Mendy and Tanguy Ndombele having moved on to Real Betis, Real Madrid and Tottenham respectively this summer. New signings Joachim Andersen and Thiago Mendes could feature.
Betting & Match Odds
Arsenal are favourites at 8/13 to take the match with Bet365. Lyon meanwhile can be backed at 4/1, while a draw is priced at 3/1.
Match Preview
Arsenal last hosted Lyon in the Emirates Cup four years ago, with the Gunners running out 6-0 winners. But that was a very different Arsenal side with Oliver Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla all on the scoresheet and Arsene Wenger still at the helm – not to mention a Champions League campaign to look forward to.
Now, as much as match fitness the emphasis will be on maintaining the growing optimism around the club.
Fans are excited by the news of a club-record deal for Nicolas Pepe, the Kieran Tierney saga is gathering pace and deals have already been struck for Dani Ceballos and William Saliba.
With two weeks still to go before Arsenal travel to Newcastle in their first Premier League outing of the new campaign, there is time for Emery to tinker and experiment with his squad. Following this game, the Gunners have further friendlies against Angers and Barcelona.
Lyon had an up-and-down campaign last season, finishing three points off second in Ligue 1, progressing through the group stage of the Champions League and reaching the semi-finals of both domestic cups.
They face a challenge in replicating those feats this time around. Leading striker Moussa Dembele is still there – for now – but the loss of buccaneering left-back Ferland Mendy, star midfielder Tanguy Ndombele and club captain Nabil Fekir all in the same window is sure to hit the squad hard.
But in crisis comes opportunity. Talented youngsters like Houssem Aouar, Lucas Tousart and Pape Cheikh Diop will be confident of ensuring the departed trio are not too sorely missed.
Memphis Depay has shone for Lyon since joining two and a half years ago, and fans will be hoping his mind is fully back on the job following the summer release of his most recent single, ‘Fall Back’.
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