2011 Emirates Cup
The 2011 Emirates Cup was a pre-season football friendly tournament hosted by Arsenal at its home ground, the Emirates Stadium in London. It was the fifth Emirates Cup, an invitational competition inaugurated in 2007. Held on the weekend of 30–31 July 2011, the participants were Arsenal, Boca Juniors, Paris Saint-Germain, and New York Red Bulls. The inclusion of the Red Bulls meant Thierry Henry returned to play against his former club, Arsenal. The 2011 edition, with the Red Bulls and Boca Juniors, also marked the first time clubs outside of UEFA's jurisdiction had participated in the competition.
Emirates Stadium | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | England |
| City | London |
| Dates | 30 – 31 July |
| Teams | 4 (from 3 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | New York Red Bulls (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Third place | Arsenal |
| Fourth place | Boca Juniors |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 4 |
| Goals scored | 10 (2.5 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Robin van Persie (2 goals) |
The Emirates Cup follows a point scoring system much like the Amsterdam Tournament, whereby each team plays two matches, with three points awarded for a win, one point for a draw and none for a loss. For this event Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain did not play each other, nor did Boca Juniors face New York Red Bulls. Unlike previous editions, additional points were not awarded for every goal scored. The Red Bulls won the Emirates Cup after beating PSG on the first day and then earning a point against Arsenal on the second. Paris Saint-Germain finished runners-up, while Arsenal came in third and Boca Juniors last.