Our pre-season preparations come to a close on Wednesday evening when we do battle with Monaco for the Emirates Cup.

As well as a chance to pay tribute to Arsene Wenger who managed both opponents with distinction, it’ll also be the last chance Mikel Arteta gets to tinker with his team ahead of competitive action on Sunday when we face Manchester City in the Community Shield.

The side from the principality will provide a stern test going into that encounter at Wembley, and before our clash at Emirates Stadium, here is everything you need to know about Monaco:

The history

This will be the club’s 99th season in existence, having been formed in November 1924. They are one of French football’s most successful teams, having won eight league titles, five French Cups and a League Cup.

It took them until 1953 to reach the top-flight, and seven years later came their first piece of silverware since turning professional in 1933 in the form of the French Cup. One year later came their first league championship, and a double arrived in 1963 before a period of decline saw them yoyo between the top two tiers.

However by the 1980s they had returned to prominence, and Wenger’s arrival as manager brought them further success as they won the league title in his first season in charge in 1988, as well as a French Cup three years later (find out more about Arsene's time in charge). He also took them to their first European final but they lost out on the 1992 European Cup Winners Cup to Werder Bremen.

Financial problems and boardroom changes destabilised the club at the turn of the millennium, and despite a run to the Champions League final in 2003/04, they suffered relegation in 2011. However, a takeover by Dmitry Rybolovlev helped the club recover and by 2017 they won their eighth and last league title, spearheaded by the goals of academy product Kylian Mbappe.