Arsenal are set to host Bayer Leverkusen and Olympique Lyonnais in the Emirates Cup, and this will bring back some fond memories of the tournament.
The Emirates Cup has been an Arsenal tradition since 2007, and despite a change in formats over the years, it has been an exciting way to finish pre-season and welcome the return of the Premier League each summer.
Several high-profile teams and players have visited the Emirates as part of the pre-season tournament, and Granit Xhaka and Ainsley Maitland-Niles will now follow the paths of Thierry Henry, Mathieu Flamini and more in returning to face Arsenal in this cup.
There have been some excellent performances and breakout stars over the years in the Emirates Cup, as well as some iconic moments, but one game in the 2014 edition was arguably the best of them all for several reasons.
Arsenal thrashed Benfica 5-1 in 2014 Emirates Cup, Yaya Sanogo delivered iconic performance
The 2014 Emirates Cup was a very special edition. For the first time since the trophy’s inception, Arsenal were returning to North London after a summer break with a major trophy to their name, as they ended a nine-year trophy drought to win the FA Cup.
Aaron Ramsey scored the winner in the final at Wembley, and he was given a heroes welcome as he returned to the Emirates for the first time along with his teammates.
Arsenal faced Portuguese giants Benfica, and what happened next was remarkable. Arsene Wenger’s side were rampant, and they raced into a 4-0 lead by half-time.
Ramsey was outstanding on the day, but the talk of the town was young striker Yaya Sanogo. The Frenchman had joined a year before, but had failed to find the back of the net.
Sanogo started against Benfica, and lit up the Emirates, with a hattrick by half time before adding a fourth in the 49th minute.
Given that he would then go on to score just once for the club in competitive action, this was easily his best game in an Arsenal shirt, and it was a remarkable and hilarious display of goalscoring, as he also slipped during the celebration of one of his goals, and the fans at the Emirates were in joyous disbelief.
Arsenal welcomed two World Cup stars to the Emirates
Between Sanogo’s remarkable display and the buzz of welcoming back the FA Cup winners, Arsenal fans had a new injection of optimism.
New signing Calum Chambers was in the starting lineup, and German World Cup winners Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil were yet to return after triumphing in Brazil.
However, two other players who lit up the 2014 tournament were welcomed to the Emirates. Joel Campbell, who had spent the previous season on loan at Olympiakos, was given his long-awaited Arsenal chance.
Campbell impressed at Olympiakos, and helped Costa Rica reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. He made his Emirates bow against Benfica, and delivered an exciting display as he scored and assisted in the rout.
The best moment of the game did not come through a goal though. After years of frugality in the transfer market, Wenger had signed Barcelona sensation Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean also impressed at the World Cup, and he completed a huge move to Arsenal, arriving as a superstar and the second-most expensive player in the history of the club. Fans were buzzing when he first warmed up on the touchline, with everyone eager to see their new forward in action.
Arsenal fans were watching their cup-winning side hit five past Benfica with ease, and they were then treated to Sanchez’s first appearance at the Emirates in Arsenal colours. The attacker came on for Campbell in the second half, to a raucous reception.
The vibrant optimism of that day, with the surprise scorer in Sanogo and the superstar arrival of Sanchez, is yet to be replicated, and even with potentially special Emirates Cup moments ahead, that victory over Benfica will be very hard to top.
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