Three Things We Learned From Arsenal’s Disappointing Emirates Cup Defeat to Borussia Dortmund

Arsenal fell to a 3–2 defeat against Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates as the German side lifted the Emirates Cup.

Arsenal weren’t at their best. | Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Arsenal’s run of four consecutive Emirates Cup victories came to an abrupt end Sunday as the Gunners were beaten 3–2 by Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates Stadium.

The German side lifted the preseason trophy—first introduced in 2007 and named after Arsenal’s principal shirt sponsor—after edging Mikel Arteta’s team in a thrilling contest in north London.

Arsenal unveiled new signing Bruno Guimarães before kickoff, but his arrival failed to bring any immediate good fortune. Dortmund took the lead after just seven minutes, with 18-year-old Samuele Inacio latching onto Felix Nmecha’s clever through ball before firing a low finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 29th minute through Konstantinos Karetsas, who produced a stunning strike into the top corner to leave Arsenal with a mountain to climb.

The Gunners pulled one back shortly after halftime, Ethan Nwaneri finishing in the 54th minute after being set up by fellow summer arrival Christos Tzolis. But Dortmund restored their two-goal cushion only moments later. Arsenal failed to properly clear a corner, allowing Joane Gadou to pounce from close range and make it 3–1.

Substitute Viktor Gyökeres gave Arsenal renewed hope from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, setting up a tense finale. The Gunners threw everything forward in search of an equalizer, but Dortmund withstood the late pressure to secure the trophy.

Here are three things we learned from the defeat.

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Tzolis Looks Electric

Tzolis had a great game. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Arsenal may have had a day to forget for the most part, but there was one shining star for the Gunners: summer signing Tzolis.

The Greek winger was at the heart of everything Arsenal did well. He provided the assist for Nwaneri’s goal with a lovely cutback into the box and later won the penalty that Gyökeres converted.

Every time Tzolis received the ball, he looked dangerous. Direct and fearless when taking on his man, the winger repeatedly produced an end product—whether it was a dangerous cross, clever cutback or winning a corner.

That was something Arsenal often lacked from the wide areas last season, with Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke too frequently struggling to make a consistent impact in the final third.

Tzolis created four chances against Dortmund, more than any other player on the pitch. If this is a sign of things to come, Arsenal may have found themselves a very serious winger.

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The Havertz Experiment Continues

What exactly is Kai Havertz? | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Kai Havertz has always been something of an enigma, both at Chelsea and now Arsenal. Is he a No. 10? A striker? A false nine? Or perhaps a central midfielder?

His performance against Borussia Dortmund may have helped answer at least one of those questions: midfield certainly does not look like his best position.

Starting on the left of a midfield three alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Ødegaard, Havertz offered very little defensively, finishing the game without a single defensive contribution. He also struggled to influence proceedings going forward, with several misplaced passes and moments where he was caught in possession after taking too long to make his next move.

There were a couple of intelligent runs in behind that caused problems for Dortmund’s defense, but Havertz lacked the quality in the final third to turn those openings into anything meaningful.

For now, Havertz remains a useful utility player who can fill several roles when needed. But if Dortmund was anything to go by, central midfield is one position where Arsenal are unlikely to get the best out of him.

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Defensive Woes Mounting

Arsenal suddenly look shaky at the back. | Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Arsenal’s 2025–26 Premier League title-winning campaign was built on an outstanding defense. Mikel Arteta’s side conceded just 27 goals all season—the fewest in the league and one of the lowest totals in the division’s history.

The preseason, however, has told a very different story.

Conceding once in a 4–1 win over Girona was hardly cause for concern, but back-to-back defeats to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund, conceding three goals in each, have exposed some worrying issues at the back.

William Saliba’s absence is clearly being felt. The Frenchman is already expected to miss the opening months of the new Premier League season, leaving Arsenal with a significant hole to fill.

Cristhian Mosquera remains young and relatively inexperienced at this level, while Riccardo Calafiori, although capable of playing centrally, is not a natural center back. It is easy to see, then, why the Gunners are pushing to bring in another defender before the season begins.

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