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Three Things We Learned After Borussia Dortmund beat Arsenal 3-2 Bundesliga runners-up beat Premier League champions to lift the pre-season bauble that is the Emirates Cup: Here's Three Things We Learned from Sunday back in North London Three Things We Learned After Borussia Dortmund beat Arsenal 3-2 The Bundesliga runners-up beat the Premier League champions to lift the pre-season bauble that is the Emirates Cup. Even if Arsenal beat Borussia Dortmund 5-4 in a meaningless penalty shootout after losing 3-2 in 90 minutes as the Bundesliga side take the Emirates Cup Here’s Three Things We Learned from Sunday back in North London The view from the Emirates press box ahead of Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund. CREDIT: Layth (@laythy29) Twenty one days since I covered the World Cup final in New Jersey I was back in the Emirates press box for Arsenal vs Borussia Dortmund full of anticipation for the 2026-27 season to come Here’s Three Things We Learned from Sunday back in North London The Bundesliga runners-up beat the Premier League champions, as Arsenal lost 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund on a hot Sunday afternoon in North London. A mere 21 days since the World Cup final, following the six week tournament across North America, the Gunners hosted Dortmund for the Emirates Cup. It showed. Mikel Arteta’s side looked off the pace against the Germans whose next game will see them face Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup following their Japan tour last week. Samuele Inacio slotted past Kepa to put the visitors in front after seven minutes following Felix Nmecha’s perceptive through ball. Dortmund’s Greek winger Konstantino Karetsas doubled the visitors lead shortly before the half hour mark. Leaving Gunners boss Arteta to have serious words with his side during the first half drinks break moments after falling 2-0 behind. Prior to switching skipper Martin Odegaard for Ethan Nwaneri. Seven minutes before the interval Gabriel thudded his header over the bar from the impish Max Dowman’s cross. While 240 seconds after that Kai Havertz’s header was gathered by Dortmund keeper Alexander Meyer. On a hot afternoon in N5 substitute Nwaneri scored ten minutes after the restart, after Christos Tzolis squared for the Hale End academy graduate to fire past Meyer to make the score 2-1, and game on. However, Joane Gadou made it 3-1 two minutes later after lackadaisical defending by the home side, that saw Arteta switch Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel for Piero Hincapie and teenage talent Marli Salmon moments later. On 68 minutes Viktor Gyokeres - who had hit the bar in the first half - slotted home his penalty to make it 3-2 to the Bundesliga giants with the biggest average home attendance in Europe. As the clock ticked down a flurry of substitutions followed but Niko Kovac’s side held on to win the bauble, even if Arsenal beat Dortmund 5-4 on penalties in a meaningless manufactured spot-kick drama after the final whistle, as the Bundesliga side took the Emirates Cup. Three Things We Learned Bruno is a Gooner The afternoon started brightly for the Gunners, albeit with the main highlight of the day coming before kick-off, when new £75m signing Bruno Guimaraes was introduced to the crowd on a sunny North London Sunday afternoon. Alas, for the home support that - and the fact the club had added the 2025-26 Premier League trophy to the list of honours on the stadium - was as good as it got, with Arteta’s side falling behind early on. Memories of Eberechi Eze’s introduction before Leeds United at the Emirates last August came flooding back, and even if Bruno’s welcome was cordial if not ecstatic there will be plenty more acclaim for our latest new Gunner on Wednesday when Arsenal host Como, Cesc Fabregas and all. 2 - Calm Down Amid the online hysteria at a second pre-season defeat in early August it was good to see the club have added the 2025-26 Premier League title to the list of trophies on the stadium honours. Not to mention the fact safe standing sections have been introduced in the Clock End, even if it was interesting to note not every fan is stood up. Although that might be due to the fact it was only the Emirates Cup. Or the fact Arsenal went 2-0 down. Or more likely not all season ticket holders who’ll be there all year attended on Sunday afternoon, with the Emirates Cup traditionally being a chance for those not fortunate enough to watch the champions week in, week out. Or perhaps it was a case that fans may simply not have been aware of the news, or even what the safe standing barriers were for. However, amid the criticism of Arteta’s team from grotesque internet caricatures, wretched grifters, and kids in their bedrooms who wouldn’t know their Champman from their Compton, never mind their Chamakh from their Copley, while we’re here, let’s just take a moment to recall the joy that May 2026 brought to us all. And note three World Cup winners are still officially on holiday, as well as four England semi-finalists, while captain Odegaard still needs time to build up his sharpness. In the meantime we’ve signed a No6 and a No8 in Bruno. As well as a lively, hard-working, two-footed winger in Christos Tzolis, who also reminds me of a certain Brian Marwood (ask your dad). Not to mention a keeper better than Kepa (see below) 3 - Illan Meslier is better than Kepa New signing from Leeds United Illan Meslier switched with Kepa for the second half. Good. I’ve never rated the former Chelsea keeper during his utterly underwhelming spell with Arsenal. The sooner Meslier makes the No2 spot his own the better as far as I’m concerned. PS: We’ll be sending all our Gooner Fanzine newsletters for 2026-27 from here on Substack after Mailchimp proved relentlessly expensive, while also managing to offer diminishing marginal returns. Please do keep an eye out for our first communication of the summer after the Como game. In the meantime if you are considering taking out a subscription please do. If you have any queries please email info@goonerfanzine.com and we’ll get back to you asap