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Gunners in shoot to thrill decider
ARSENAL will be vying for a unique football first on Sunday week when the winners of the Emirates Cup could be decided by the team with most shots on target.
If two sides in the two-day four-team tournament on August 1 and 2 – which also involves Rangers, Paris
Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid – are level on points, goals scored, goal difference, then this new initiative will come into play. The plan is to reward attacking football and was the most popular idea suggested by fans when asked by the club .
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: “Using shots on target by a team over the course of the tournament is a very innovative and positive method on how to possibly decide the cup winners .
“Of course, this may not be needed, as we still have the points and goal difference. And also in the Emirates Cup, every goal scored is rewarded by a point as well.
“It will encourage attacking play by all the teams and I think we are defi nitely guaranteed an exciting weekend of football.”
Nearly 500 supporters sent in ideas, including some linked to possession, a team receiving fewest bookings and even acrossbar challenge and Wenger added: “I’m not sure whether FIFA, UEFA and other football governing bodies would adopt such a policy for major tournaments, but it definitely adds an extra element of interest to this tournament.”