On August 9, 2025, at 16:00 GMT+0, Arsenal will play Athletic Bilbao in the final of the Emirates Cup at the Emirates Stadium in London. The football world will be watching. Since 2007, this competition has been a regular part of the pre-season. It gives both teams a time to fine-tune their squads before the competitive season starts, with Arsenal hoping to defend their championship at home.
There is no information on the referee for this friendly, but both teams will be very focused on fixing problems they had throughout the pre-season. There will be 60,704 people at the Emirates for this match, which will be a test of Mikel Arteta’s and Ernesto Valverde’s tactical skills in a prominent setting.
Betting Tips and Match Insights
This section sets the stage for a detailed look at the Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao prediction today, focusing on recent performances and historical context. Bettors can learn a lot from Arsenal’s varied results in the pre-season and Athletic Bilbao’s losing streak. Because there is no head-to-head data, current form and player availability are quite important. You can expect to get a list of each team’s strengths and weaknesses to help you make your betting choices. To make a good prediction on Arsenal vs. Athletic Bilbao today, you need to know how these things work.
Arsenal Results
Arsenal’s preseason has been hit or miss, with some great plays and some bad ones on defense. They lost to Tottenham and Villarreal recently, which showed weaknesses, but they beat Newcastle and AC Milan, which showed attacking potential. The Gunners want to complete their preparations at home on a good note.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | Outcome |
| 06/08/25 | CF | Arsenal vs Villarreal | 2-3 | L |
| 31/07/25 | CF | Arsenal vs Tottenham | 0-1 | L |
| 27/07/25 | CF | Arsenal vs Newcastle | 3-2 | W |
| 23/07/25 | CF | Arsenal vs AC Milan | 1-0 | W |
| 25/05/25 | PL | Southampton vs Arsenal | 1-2 | W |
Arsenal’s recent form shows that their defense isn’t working well together because they gave up six goals in their last four friendlies. Even if youthful players Max Dowman and Martin Odegaard helped out, the 3-2 loss to Villarreal showed problems in the backline. But their wins over Newcastle and AC Milan show that they can make chances to score. The Gunners’ home field advantage at the Emirates may be very important. Their depth, which has been boosted by fresh additions, might help them beat an opponent who is struggling.
Athletic Bilbao Results
Athletic Bilbao has had a terrible preseason, losing five games in a row to show how hard things have been for them. Losses against Liverpool, Racing Santander, PSV, and Alaves have shown that the team isn’t very good at defense and isn’t very sharp. Ernesto Valverde’s team has a lot of work to do to get their confidence back before their first La Liga game.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | Outcome |
| 04/08/25 | CF | Liverpool vs Ath Bilbao | 3-2 | L |
| 04/08/25 | CF | Liverpool vs Ath Bilbao | 4-1 | L |
| 30/07/25 | CF | Racing Santander vs Ath Bilbao | 2-1 | L |
| 26/07/25 | CF | PSV vs Ath Bilbao | 2-1 | L |
| 22/07/25 | CF | Alaves vs Ath Bilbao | 1-0 | L |
Athletic Bilbao’s five-game losing streak is very worrying since they have given up 12 goals and only scored five. Their defense was especially weak against Liverpool, giving up seven goals in two games in one day. Nico and Inaki Williams and Oihan Sancet are not yet working well together as an attacking trio. They don’t have the spark they need to change games. The Basque side’s inability to win shows that they aren’t working well together. Facing Arsenal’s strong onslaught could make things worse for them.
Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao Head-to-Head
This absence of direct contact makes current form and tactical setups the most important factors in this duel. This is the first time they’ve met in this setting, which makes it more unpredictable.
Bettors have to rely on current trends and team news because they haven’t met before. Arsenal has the home field advantage and Athletic has been playing poorly lately, but the Basque team’s ability to attack could still be a problem. This unexpected matchup makes Saturday’s final even more exciting.
Predicted Lineups for Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao Football Match
Based on the latest news about the teams and their preferred tactics, here are the likely starting lineups for the Arsenal vs. Athletic Bilbao football match. These lineups are what the managers probably would have picked, taking into account injuries, form, and testing things out in the preseason.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup: Raya (GK), White (DF), Saliba (DF), Mosquera (DF), Zinchenko (DF), Odegaard (MF), Zubimendi (MF), Rice (MF), Saka (FW), Gyokeres (FW), Madueke (FW)
Athletic Bilbao Predicted Lineup: Simon (GK), Areso (DF), Vivian (DF), Lekue (DF), Berchiche (DF), Jauregizar (MF), Vesga (MF), I. Williams (MF), Sancet (MF), N. Williams (MF), Guruzeta (FW)
Unavailable Players
Injuries and players who aren’t there are a big part of how the teams are made up for this game. Based on the most recent revisions, the table below shows the players who are not available for either club.
| Team | Player | Reason |
| Arsenal | Gabriel Jesus | ACL injury |
| Arsenal | Kai Havertz | Minor injury (doubtful, expected to return) |
| Arsenal | Riccardo Calafiori | Minor injury (doubtful, expected to return) |
| Arsenal | Leandro Trossard | Minor injury (doubtful, expected to return) |
| Athletic Bilbao | Oscar de Marcos | Retired |
Gabriel Jesus of Arsenal is out for a lengthy time, but Havertz, Calafiori, and Trossard are all anticipated to be healthy, which will help their team. Athletic Bilbao lost De Marcos, but they signed Areso to make up for it. However, their lack of depth could be a problem.
Key Factors to Watch
A few important things need to be taken into account in order to make a smart prediction on Arsenal vs. Athletic Bilbao today. Both teams are dealing with problems before the season starts. Arsenal is trying to improve their defense, and Athletic Bilbao is desperate to halt their losing streak. Here are the main things that will affect the outcome:
- Arsenal’s problems on defense: Giving up six goals in four friendly games shows weaknesses, especially against Villarreal;
- Athletic’s Losing Streak: Five straight losses, including a 7-3 aggregate loss to Liverpool, show that the team is not playing well;
- Player Form: Nico Williams might influence the game for Athletic if he takes advantage of Arsenal’s weak defense;
- Martin Odegaard, Arsenal’s captain, has been a constant menace, scoring penalties and leading attacks;
- Home Advantage: Arsenal has a mental edge because they haven’t lost in the last three Emirates Cups;
- Tactical Matchup: Arsenal’s style of play, which is based on keeping the ball, might not work well with Athletic’s style of play, which is built on counter-attacking. This could lead to goals;
- Concerns About Fatigue: Athletic’s busy schedule, which includes two losses to Liverpool in one day, could make them tired;
- The effects of new signings: Arsenal’s Gyokeres and Madueke are still getting used to their new teams, and Athletic’s Areso has a tough first game ahead of him.
Free Tips on Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao
This part gives you useful betting tips for the Arsenal vs. Athletic Bilbao game, based on real trends in the teams and players. These ideas are meant to help people who bet on this pre-season final deal with its many problems. To improve your betting strategy, think about these things:
- Focus on Goals Scored: Both sides have had trouble defending, with Arsenal giving up six goals and Athletic giving up twelve in previous friendlies. This makes it likely that the game will be high-scoring, especially because Saka, Odegaard, and the Williams brothers are all good at attacking.
- Think about Arsenal’s home field advantage: The Gunners have won the last three Emirates Cups, and the passionate Emirates fans could help them play better, making them the favorites to take advantage of Athletic’s bad run.
- Keep an eye on substitutions in the second half: Both managers will probably make a lot of changes, but Athletic’s rhythm might be affected more than Arsenal’s because the Gunners have a deeper roster.
- See how Nico Williams affects things: He could use Arsenal’s messy defense to score or assist goals because of his speed and style.
- Take into account the pitch conditions: the Emirates’ perfect natural grass helps Arsenal’s possession game and may make Athletic’s counter-attacks less dangerous than they would be on slicker surfaces.
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Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction 2025
Arsenal are poised to edge out Athletic Bilbao in a thrilling Emirates Cup final, with our predicted scoreline favoring the Gunners. The Arsenal vs Athletic Bilbao odds reflect the home side’s slight advantage, given their historical success in this tournament and Athletic’s dismal pre-season form. Arsenal’s recent losses to Tottenham and Villarreal showed that their defense isn’t working well, but their attack, led by Odegaard and Saka, is still strong. Athletic has lost five games in a row, including big losses to Liverpool, which shows that they aren’t working well together. However, Nico Williams’ skill could be an issue. The Gunners’ depth and home support should make a big difference, especially in the second half when Arteta’s team is likely to make more alterations. The odds for the Arsenal vs. Athletic Bilbao game also suggest that there will be a lot of goals scored because both clubs are bad at defense but good at offense. Athletic’s counter-attacks might work, but Arsenal’s ability to keep the ball and take advantage of a fatigued opponent should win them the silverware. We think Arsenal will win by a small margin, and their new players could be the difference in a game where both teams could score.
Our Prediction: Arsenal 3-2 Athletic Bilbao
| Prediction Type | Prediction | Odds |
| Match Outcome | Arsenal Win | 1.47 |
| Both Teams to Score | Yes | 1.73 |
| Total Goals | Over 2.5 | 1.62 |
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