After going on hiatus for a year due to Euro 2016 and the relaying of the Emirates Stadium pitch, the Emirates Cup will make its comeback this weekend.
It will be the ninth time Arsenal have invited three clubs to their pre-season invitational, with the first edition in 2007 featuring Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia and Inter.
The likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Boca Juniors have all played in the tournament since then, and two new teams as well as one returning club will feature alongside the Gunners this year.
Arsenal's pre-season fixtures in full
We've collected all the information you need to know ahead of Arsenal's weekend showcase on July 29 and 30.
WHAT IS THE EMIRATES CUP?
The Emirates Cup is a pre-season mini-tournament held annually at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium over one weekend in July. Since its inception in 2007, it has taken place every summer except 2012 (due to the Olympic Games in London) and 2016 (due to Euro 2016 and pitch refurbishment at the Gunners' home ground).
Arsenal invite three other teams to the tournament, and each side plays one match on Saturday and another on Sunday. In addition to three points for a win and one for a draw, teams also gain a point for each goal they score and the side top of the table at the end of the weekend claims the trophy, though they do not all play each other.
The Gunners have won four of the eight competitions and are the current holders. Hamburg, the New York Red Bulls, Valencia and Galatasaray have also triumphed.
EMIRATES CUP TEAMS
| Team | Country |
|---|---|
| Arsenal | England |
| Sevilla | Spain |
| Benfica | Portugal |
| RB Leipzig | Germany |
Arsenal have invited Sevilla, Benfica and RB Leipzig to the Emirates Cup this year, with the Portuguese side the only one to have made a previous appearance. That came back in 2014, when they finished fourth.
Sevilla and Leipzig are new to the tournament.
Leipzig have qualified for next season's Champions League group stage by finishing second in the Bundesliga, while Benfica will also avoid the qualifying rounds having been crowned Portuguese champions.
Sevilla will need to navigate a play-off tie after claiming fourth place in La Liga and Arsenal, of course, have missed out entirely and will be playing in the Europa League.
Jurgen Klopp may be watching on if Liverpool target Naby Keita takes to the pitch in north London, while 19-year-old prospect Chris Willock will be making a swift return to the capital having left Arsenal for Benfica earlier this summer.
Alexis Sanchez, however, will not feature; the Chilean is set to return to pre-season training along with Shkodran Mustafi this weekend after being given an extended holiday following the Confederations Cup.
The injured Gabriel, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere will also miss out.
EMIRATES CUP FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time (BST) |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 29 | RB Leipzig 0-1 Sevilla | 14:00 |
| Jul 29 | Arsenal 5-2 Benfica | 16:20 |
| Jul 30 | RB Leipzig vs Benfica | 14:00 |
| Jul 30 | Arsenal vs Sevilla | 16:20 |
As mentioned, each side only faces two other teams, with back-to-back matches taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
Leipzig and Sevilla kicked things off at 2pm UK time on Saturday, with the Germans losing 1-0 to their Spanish opponents, before Arsenal defeated Benfica 5-2 in the pre-season tournament.
On Sunday, RB Leipzig are in action at 2pm again, this time against Benfica, and Arsenal take on Sevilla to wrap up the tournament at 4.20pm.
Arsenal will not play Leipzig and Sevilla will not meet Benfica.
EMIRATES CUP TV COVERAGE
This year's Emirates Cup will not be broadcast on any of the regular sports channels but will instead be shown in its entirety on Quest. It is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin - for a full channel guide, see below - and can also be watched live online on TVPlayer in the UK.
In Germany, the Emirates Cup will be streamed live on DAZN.
| Network | Channel number |
|---|---|
| Freeview | 37 |
| Freesat | 167 |
| Sky | 144 |
| Virgin Media | 172 |
| Virgin Media Ireland | 154 |
| Online stream | TVPlayer |
HOW CAN I BUY TICKETS?
Buying one ticket will you get into both matches on the day you attend. Full ticket information can be found on the Arsenal website, with tickets currently on general sale and available to buy online or by telephone to be printed at home.
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Seats start at £25 for adults and £12 for concessions (children and seniors) and top out at £45 and £22 respectively. A number of family packages are also available in limited quantities, reducing the price of buying adult and concession tickets together.