Arsenal conclude their pre-season duties back on home soil with an Emirates Cup clash in north London this afternoon. The Gunners saw their 100 per cent summer record ended in a behind-closed-doors friendly defeat by Brentford in midweek, but Mikel Arteta’s side are still looking in fine fettle ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Boosted by the goals of new signing Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal impressed hugely on their tour of the United States, following up their high-scoring defeat of Nurnberg by thrashing London rivals Chelsea 4-0 to lift the Florida Cup after previous victories over Everton and Orlando City. They will hope to get back to winning ways today and keep confidence high with their trip to Crystal Palace looming large on Friday night.
Looking to upset Arteta’s preparations is a Sevilla side that finished fourth in LaLiga last term but have since lost the likes of Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos. Julen Lopetegui’s men drew with Tottenham earlier this month and have since seen off Sporting Lisbon and Angers. Follow the Emirates Cup clash live with Standard Sport below!
Live updates
BREAKING: Arsenal name Odegaard as new captain
Arsenal have officially appointed Martin Odegaard as their new first-team captain ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
The Gunners made the announcement before their final pre-season friendly of an encouraging summer against Sevilla in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.
A popular and influential member of Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad who has worn the skipper’s armband before, Odegaard succeeds Alexandre Lacazette, who left Arsenal at the end of his contract to rejoin former club Lyon on a free transfer this summer.
Lacazette had been installed as the temporary replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was stripped of the captaincy for disciplinary reasons before eventually having his contract terminated by mutual consent ahead of a move to Barcelona in February.
Odegaard, who is just 23, is well-versed in leading teams, having captained his native Norway since March 2021.
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Tavares leaves Arsenal for Marseille loan
One player who won’t be featuring for Arsenal today is Nuno Tavares.
The Gunners have confirmed in the last few minutes that the Portuguese full-back has completed his proposed loan switch to Marseille.
Tavares will be back however, with no option for a permanent deal included in the agreement.
It’s a well-trodden path from Arsenal to Marseille, with William Saliba and Matteo Guendouzi having made similar moves over recent years.
How might Arsenal line up?
Official team news on the way soon, but here is a look at how Arsenal could line up today with that Premier League curtain-raiser against Crystal Palace approaching fast…
Predicted XI: Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Xhaka, Elneny, Odegaard; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Arsenal vs Sevilla prediction
There is plenty of positivity at Arsenal heading into the new campaign and the first and only pre-season match at the Emirates gives the players a chance to shine in front of home support.
The front-line looked particularly impressive throughout the USA tour and should that continue against Sevilla, the goals are likely to flow once again.
Arsenal to win, 3-0.
Sevilla team news – Doubts over Rafa Mir
Sevilla have doubts over last season’s top scorer Rafa Mir, who is dealing with a muscular issue.
The likes of Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos have departed, but new signing Marcao – who joined from Galatasaray earlier this month – should be in contention for a start in central defence.
Arsenal team news – Tierney, Tomiyasu and Smith Rowe training
Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu have all been involved in Arsenal training since the return to London from the United States, after a pre-season disrupted by injuries up to this point, and the trio will want to get some crucial minutes under their belts today.
Fabio Vieira is unlikely to be involved as he continues his recovery from a foot injury, while Bernd Leno is close to sealing a move away from the club so has likely played his last match in an Arsenal shirt.
Gabriel Jesus – whose knock sustained against Chelsea in Orlando was quickly brushed off by Mikel Arteta – and Oleksandr Zinchenko are expected to play at the Emirates for the first time this afternoon.
How to watch Arsenal vs Sevilla
TV channel: Today’s match will not be televised live on TV in the UK.
Live stream: Arsenal are streaming the match via the Arsenal.com website and the club’s official app, with a pass for the match costing £5.99.
Welcome to Arsenal vs Sevilla LIVE coverage!
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s latest LIVE coverage of Arsenal’s 2022/23 pre-season campaign.
The Gunners are back in front of their own fans this afternoon for the Emirates Cup showdown with Sevilla. which represents their final friendly fixture before they open the new Premier League season away at London rivals Crystal Palace on Friday night.
Arsenal had boasted a 100 per cent summer record after wins over Chelsea, Everton, Orlando City and Nurnberg, though were bested 2-1 by Brentford in a behind-closed-doors contest in midweek.
Kick-off today is at 12:30pm BST, so stay tuned for match build-up, latest team news and live game updates!
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism