Emirates Cup preview
The Emirates Cup will kick off tomorrow once again, and this year sees Arsenal joined by Italian giants AC Milan, Olympique Lyonnais and Celtic.
Arsenal are the reigning holders of the Emirates Cup, having won the competition twice since its inception back in 2007. Last year, the Gunners beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 and Glasgow Rangers 3-0, with Jack Wilshire the man of the tournament.
The 18-year-old sees the Emirates Cup as a chance to show Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger what he can do. “It can help set the tone for your season,” he said. “A good performance at the Emirates Cup can help put you in the manager's mind.”
Wilshire spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers, and is looking forward to playing once again. “It's a chance to show what you can do against some of the best clubs. It's good for the younger players too. They can make an impact in front of the manager.
As a young player you always want to take your chance and the Emirates Cup is really good for that.
“It is a good tournament. It is good for families to come and watch some of the best teams and some of the best players and it always has a really good atmosphere,” said Wilshire.
For every goal scored you collect an extra point, along with the conventional three for a win and one for a draw. This provides an added incentive for the teams according to Arsenal winger Theo Walcott. “It's a good idea in a pre-season competition. It will encourage people to shoot and do that bit extra. This will hopefully make it more exciting for the fans at the matches,” he said.
Walcott failed to make England’s World Cup squad in South Africa, but he is ready to take on AC Milan and Celtic in consecutive days. “I know it's only pre-season, but you always like to start well at the Emirates Cup, in front of your own supporters. I'm really looking forward to getting back out there at Emirates Stadium and playing.
“Celtic are a very good team with great supporters, so we're looking forward to playing against them. It should make a very good atmosphere in the stadium on that day. Also, AC Milan are one of Europe's leading clubs, so of course, we can't wait to play them as well,” said Walcott.
Arsenal’s first game will be against AC Milan, who will be without Ronaldinho. The Brazilian playmaker will miss the event after suffering a left hamstring strain.
One man who will be present for AC Milan is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen is relishing marking his former Ajax teammate, who scored the very first goal at the Emirates Stadium in Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial match in 2006.
“Huntelaar is a very good striker. He's very clever in the box and we'll have to concentrate for 90 minutes to keep him out,” he said.
“I'm really looking forward to seeing him again and hopefully playing against him. Milan will be a good challenge for us and will hopefully be a great pre-season match for the supporters. Arsenal against Celtic will also be a good challenge for us. I know Celtic are a very well supported team and there will hopefully be lots of supporters from both clubs in the stadium to make a great atmosphere. We obviously played against Celtic in last season's Champions League, so we know this will be a tough, very competitive pre-season match,” said Vermaelen.
The Belgian defender was unable to take part in the Emirates Cup last season, and is eagerly anticipating making his debut in the event.
“Although I joined Arsenal before last year's Emirates Cup, I missed it because I had a slight injury. I remember watching the matches and seeing the full stadium on both days, so I'm really looking forward to being involved this year. It's a high quality pre-season competition and we are playing against very good teams, so it's a strong test for us before the season starts.
“It's tough, they're all good teams, and we play against AC Milan and Celtic, so we'll have two hard matches just before the Premier League starts. It's good preparation for the players and will also be great for the supporters, who will see two good matches each day. It is very important for our preparations because it's the first time we'll be playing against big teams since last season and you can see how far you are in pre-season,” he said.
The first game takes place at 2pm between Celtic and Olympique Lyonnais, followed by Arsenal against AC Milan at 4.20pm (UK time). Sunday’s matches see AC Milan against Olympique Lyonnais at 2pm and Arsenal versus Celtic at 4.20pm.
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