Arsenal enjoyed a successful outing in Singapore in the Barclays Asia Trophy, and now it is back to the more familiar environs of North London as the Emirates Cup 2015 takes centre-stage.
Along with Arsenal, Wolfsburg, Lyon and Villarreal will play in the preseason competition over two days – Saturday and Sunday.
The Emirates Cup has become a preseason tradition now for Arsenal, and the tournament this year will give manager Arsene Wenger another opportunity to not just get his senior players up to speed, but figure out which of the youngsters are ready for first-team action for the new season.
"Personally I love the Emirates Cup because it's competitive without having too much pressure on the games," Wenger told Arsenal Player.
"It's the first time that we reunite with our fans in our local stadium and I find that great. It's always a sellout, and gives opportunities to people who usually cannot come to watch the team.
"It is vital for preparation. The international players came back quite late on July 11, so when you think that they have less than four weeks to prepare for the first Premier League game, it's very short.
"The Emirates Cup on a preparation front is very important."
The Arsenal players looked pretty good in the preseason tournament in Singapore, beating a Singapore Select XI and then Everton in the final.
However, Wolfsburg and Lyon will produce sterner tests, and with two matches in two days, Wenger will have to use his entire squad and the youngsters.
Arsenal embark on this Emirates Cup challenge with a lot more hope for the new season ahead. Having won back-to-back FA Cup titles, this Arsenal side are now expected to seriously challenge for the Premier League title, while also going further in the Champions League.
"A manager has to make the most of the potential of the team that he has," Wenger was quoted by the club's official website.
"At the end of the day I know where my team can be and whether I've got the maximum out of them at the end of the season. That's where experience helps.
"I know if we could have won the league or not. For example the year we lost it at Birmingham, I think we could have won the league. Last year no, because after six games we were 11 points behind Chelsea and to catch them up was nearly impossible with the run they had.
"Our heaviest defeat last year was by two goals. It was 2-0, from a whole season, and it was against Chelsea. That means we have reduced the gap and I believe we are ready to go further."
The Emirates Cup, where Arsenal first play Lyon on Saturday, before facing Wolfsburg on Sunday, will give a pointer towards where this side currently are in terms of preparation.
Emirates Cup 2015 Schedule (all matches at Arsenal's home stadium – Emirates): 25 July: Wolfsburg vs Villarreal (2 pm BST, 6.30 pm IST, 9 am ET).
25 July: Arsenal vs Lyon (4.20 pm BST, 8.50 pm IST, 11.20 am ET).
26 July: Lyon vs Villarreal (2.30 pm BST, 6.30 pm IST, 9 am ET).
26 July: Arsenal vs Wolfsburg (4.20 pm BST, 8.50 pm IST, 11.20 am ET).
