Arsenal vs Benfica: Emirates Cup 2017 prediction, team news, line-ups, start time, live, TV

With the new Premier League season only a fortnight away Arsenal are approaching the final days of their pre-season preparation with this weekend’s Emirates Cup fixtures.

The regular North London tournament, in which goals are rewarded with bonus points, is back after an absence in 2016 to allow the Emirates surface to be relayed and will see RB Leipzig, Sevilla and Benfica in action.

Arsenal will kick off their tournament against the latter, Portuguese champions in each of the last four years and with an impressive squad led by Brazilian and Portuguese stars.

The Eagles famously dumped Arsenal out of the 1991-92 European Cup at Highbury in the two sides’ only previous meeting and while that may not ring any bells for Arsene Wenger’s current squad there will doubtless be a few at the Emirates on Saturday keen for revenge.

Scroll down for Standard Sport’s comprehensive preview

START TIME

Arsenal take on Benfica at 16:20 on Saturday June 29 at the Emirates Stadium.

TV AND LIVE ONLINE COVERAGE

Quest will provide live televised coverage in the UK but you can follow all the action from the Emirates Stadium with Standard Sport’s live blog.

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TEAM NEWS AND LINE-UPS

Arsene Wenger will select from a largely unchanged squad to that which toured Australia and China earlier this month, with the likes of Hector Bellerin, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding unlikely to feature despite having returned to training. Alexis Sanchez and Shkodran Mustafi will not be back at London Colney until Sunday.

Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac are both in line to make their first appearances as Arsenal players at the Emirates whilst the likes of Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny and Granit Xhaka will also play against either Benfica or Sevilla.

Youngsters including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock are also in Wenger’s plans. The latter could come up against brother Chris, who left the Emirates to join Benfica on a free transfer last month.

PREDICTION

BETTING ODDS (via 888 Sport)

Arsenal to win: 12/25

Draw: 16/5

Benfica to win: 23/5

All odds correct as of 21:45 on Thursday July 27. Click here to place a bet