Arsenal vs. Man City—Community Shield: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal meet current FA Cup holders Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.

The Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales is the arena for English soccer’s curtain-raiser, which pits last season’s Premier League title rivals against one another. Arsenal had the last laugh as they clinched a first crown in 22 years, but City still managed to complete a domestic double, including a Carabao Cup final victory over the Gunners.

The upcoming duel will be the final preseason friendly of the summer for both sides before the new league season commences, and both teams will be determined to land an early psychological blow on their adversary and clinch silverware in one fell swoop.

Arsenal’s preseason campaign has been surprisingly tumultuous to date, opening with two victories before a string of three matches without a win. Defeats to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund were followed by a draw against Como most recently, with Mikel Arteta’s usually watertight defense disappointing.

City have been comparatively quiet over recent weeks, only playing three times under new manager Enzo Maresca. A stalemate with Inter preceded 3–1 wins over the K-League All-Stars and Atlético Madrid, but it remains to be seen how they will fare in the coming campaign without Pep Guardiola for the first time in a decade.

Arsenal vs. Man City Score Prediction

Arsenal Close in on Community Shield Record

Ethan Nwaneri, Christos Tzolis — Arsenal only trail Manchester United in competition wins. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

The stakes are relatively low in the Community Shield and neither XI will be full-strength after the disruption of the World Cup. New signings will get a run out and there will be tactical tweaks in the City side as Maresca looks to stamp his authority.

For the above reasons, predicting the clash is difficult, but Arsenal must still be considered favorites.

They were undeniably the country’s best team last season and were penalty kicks away from being crowned European champions, too. While their displays in preseason have been underwhelming, intensity levels will rise when facing such a fierce opponent.

Rustiness is to be expected from both sets of players this weekend, but Arsenal have the momentum from last season and consistency in the dugout to make an early statement ahead of the Premier League’s opening round.

Arsenal’s Community Shield Record: Only Manchester United (21) have won this competition more than the Gunners, who are seeking an 18th title. They have won 71% of their 24 appearances in the fixture and all of their last five—including a victory over City on penalties in 2023.
Arteta vs. Maresca: There have only been three past meetings between the former Guardiola mentees, but Maresca has failed to win any of them. During his Chelsea days, he drew twice and lost once to Arteta’s Arsenal.
Head-to-head record: City might have won the last two fixtures with Arsenal, but their record in this fixture over recent years is hardly fantastic. Before their Carabao Cup win last term, they had failed to triumph in any of their previous six against the Londoners.

Prediction: Arsenal 2–1 Man City

Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Man City

Arsenal predicted XI — Arsenal won’t be at full-strength. | FotMob

Arsenal’s only major injury concerns come in defense, perhaps explaining their disjointed displays at the back during friendlies. William Saliba is sidelined for an extended spell with a back problem, while Jurriën Timber will miss the start of the new campaign having played just once since mid-March.

Ben White will replace Timber at right back, while it’s expected that Cristhian Mosquera will line up alongside Gabriel as an alternative to Saliba. Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié will compete for the left back slot.

All of Arsenal’s players have now returned to north London, including those who had extended breaks after the World Cup. That means Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martín Zubimendi are all in contention to feature this weekend.

Myles Lewis-Skelly will likely line up in midfield despite exit rumors, while new signing Bruno Guimarães could join him for a first start. Another summer recruit, Christos Tzolis, will likely feature ahead of Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing after a strong preseason.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Man City (4-3-3): Kepa; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Ødegaard, Guimarães, Lewis-Skelly; Dowman, Gyökeres, Tzolis.

Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Arsenal

Man City predicted XI — City will field a weakened XI. | FotMob

City are unlikely to have star striker Erling Haaland in their starting lineup after he only recently returned to training, while new $155 million signing Elliot Anderson also appears more likely to be on the bench than in the XI.

Rodri won’t be available for Maresca. The Barcelona-linked midfielder is still recovering from the back surgery he underwent after helping Spain win the World Cup.

Elsewhere, those who returned late from the World Cup will likely play peripheral roles.

Omar Marmoush should lead the line in Haaland’s absence, eager to build on the brace scored against Atlético Madrid. Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden and Savinho could well feature behind the Egypt international.

Tijjani Reijnders won’t be involved for City as he nears a $70 million move to Al Qadsiah.

Man City predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; González, Kovačić; Savinho, Foden, Semenyo; Marmoush.

What Time Does Arsenal vs. Man City Kick Off?

Location: Cardiff, Wales
Stadium: Principality Stadium
Date: Sunday, Aug. 16
Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: James Bell

How to Watch Arsenal vs. Man City on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Stream
United States	ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, ESPN App, fuboTV
Canada	Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Plus
Mexico	TNT Sports, Max Mexico
United Kingdom	TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, HBO Max

MORE: Full list of Arsenal vs. Man City broadcasters around the world

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