Line-up confirmed for 2015 Emirates Cup

Olympique Lyonnais, Villarreal and VFL Wolfsburg will contest the 2015 Emirates Cup alongside Arsenal, having been announced on the club's website earlier today.

The annual pre-season tournament hosted by the Gunners since their move to the Emirates Stadium will take place over the weekend of 25th/26th July, as it reaches its eighth year of existence.

Like the previous seven competitions, fans will be able to enjoy two games on each day in North London, as the first tie of either afternoon will commence at 14:00, followed shortly by the 16:20 kick-off.

Wolfsburg and Villarreal are set to begin the Emirates Cup in the early encounter on Saturday 25th July, with ex-Gunner, Nicklas Bendtner, returning to his old stomping ground against the Spanish side where Joel Campbell has resided on loan for the second half of this season.

German outfit, Wolfsburg, have secured Champions League football for next season, and with one game remaining in the Bundesliga, are positioned second, two points ahead of third placed Borussia Monchengladbach.

Villarreal currently lay sixth in La Liga with one game to spare, a position which they can be unmoved from and will provide Europa League football for the Yellow Submarine during the 2015/16 campaign.

Valencia won the tournament last year, which included Arsenal's, Champions League, Last 16 opponents, Monaco, and Portuguese club, Benfica.

Arsenal start their 2015 Emirates Cup proceedings in the later game on Saturday 25th July where they will face French outfit, Lyon.

The side from France also have a single game left to play in Ligue 1 this season and after battling with Paris Saint-Germain for the French title, they have had to settle for second place, although sealing top-level European football next season.

On the final day of the tournament Villarreal will once again feature in the 14:00 tie, this time against Lyon, whilst the Gunners will bring the competition to a close against Wolfsburg in the later and final match of this years Emirates Cup.

Arsenal last won the competition back in 2010, in which the four team tournament included Lyon, as well as Celtic and AC Milan.

Upon announcement of the 2015 pre-season tournament schedule, Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis and Emirates divisional senior vice president, corporate communications, marketing and brand, Boutros Boutros, spoke about the competition and the European clubs invited.

Gazidis said; “We are delighted to be able to confirm three leading European club teams for this year’s Emirates Cup. Lyon, Villarreal and Wolfsburg have some fantastic players and will all contribute to an entertaining weekend of football for our supporters."

"Lyon and Wolfsburg will also provide a good competitive challenge for our players as they prepare for the new season. Emirates have sponsored this tournament since 2007 and we thank them again for their long-standing commitment to Arsenal Football Club, and their support in helping to make this a great weekend of football each year.”

Whilst Boutros stated; “The Emirates Cup is always an exciting chapter in our partnership with Arsenal Football Club and we are all looking forward to the tournament returning again in July. With Lyon returning for a second time and two other top sides in Wolfsburg and Villarreal, Emirates are delighted to support another great pre-season competition this year.”

As always since the Emirates Cups' inception, three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw. The additional method of points scoring in Arsenal’s pre-season competition however, is one point for every goal scored, rewarding sides' attacking intent. If teams are level on points and goal difference in the final standings, shots on target is taken into account to determine their position, with the Emirates Cup trophy presented to the winner on Sunday 26th July after the final game has concluded.