A celebration that quickly changed course

Borussia Dortmund won the 2026 Emirates Cup after defeating Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium, in a match highlighted by several of the German side's young talents.

Just one day after the signing of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle was made official, Arsenal presented the Brazilian midfielder to their supporters before the match.

Germany's new generation steps up

Only seven minutes had passed when 18-year-old Samuele Inacio opened the scoring.

The Italian attacking midfielder received a pass from Felix Nmecha and beat Kepa Arrizabalaga with a low angled shot to put the German side ahead.

The opening blow would not be the only one. Before the half-hour mark, Konstantinos Karetsas, also 18, doubled Dortmund's advantage and left Arsenal in an even more difficult position.

Arsenal's response was quickly answered

The Gunners managed to respond after the break.

In the 54th minute, Ethan Nwaneri, back after his loan spell at Marseille, reduced the deficit and briefly restored hope for Mikel Arteta's side.

Dortmund's response, however, was almost immediate.

Just four minutes later, 19-year-old Joane Gadou took advantage of a corner kick to score Borussia Dortmund's third goal and restore their two-goal cushion.

One final attempt

Viktor Gyökeres converted a penalty in the 69th minute to make it 3-2 and set up a frantic finale in which the hosts desperately searched for an equalizer.

Dortmund managed to withstand the pressure and protect their lead until the final whistle, securing the trophy on London soil.

A warning before the season

Inacio, Karetsas and Gadou, all aged 19 or younger, scored the three goals that ultimately brought down the reigning Premier League champions at their own stadium.

For Arsenal, the defeat represents another warning during their preparations for the new campaign, as Arteta continues to welcome players back and fine-tune his squad ahead of the start of competitive action.