Arsenal’s pre-season preparations are complete, and attention now turns to Cardiff, where the Gunners have their first opportunity to lift silverware ahead of the new campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions face FA Cup winners Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off at 3pm UK time.
It’s the traditional curtain-raiser before the serious business of Arsenal’s title defence begins against Coventry City at the Emirates on Friday, August 21.
For Arteta and his players, though, Sunday’s trip to Cardiff is much more than another pre-season fixture. It’s an opportunity to start the new campaign exactly as they finished the last one, with Martin Odegaard lifting a trophy.
Arsenal missing Saliba and Timber
Arsenal will definitely be without William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
Saliba continues his rehabilitation from a back problem, while Timber remains a few weeks away from fully recovering from the groin injury that kept him out of the World Cup.
There is better news regarding Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi.
None have featured during pre-season following their World Cup involvement, but all three have been training this week and Arteta believes they are ready to play some part.
That could provide a significant boost as Arsenal look to finish their preparations on a high following Wednesday’s penalty shootout victory over Como.
A very different Manchester City
This will also be the beginning of a new era for Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola resigned during the summer and has been replaced by former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who, like Arteta, previously worked under Guardiola.
City’s squad has undergone significant changes too, with Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, James Trafford and Nathan Ake among those to leave.
Their headline arrival is England midfielder Elliott Anderson, signed from Nottingham Forest for £116 million.
Rodri will miss Sunday’s game after undergoing minor back surgery following the World Cup, while several of City’s other World Cup players haven’t featured during pre-season.
Can Arsenal exploit City’s new system?
It will be fascinating to see how quickly City adapt to Maresca’s ideas.
They are expected to remain possession-heavy but use a 3-2-2-3 shape when attacking, looking to create one-on-one situations for their dangerous wide players.
Arsenal may find opportunities if they can play through City’s high press. With a new manager implementing a different system, there could be spaces available if City’s pressing isn’t completely coordinated.
The absence of Saliba and Timber, however, means Arsenal’s reshuffled defence will face a serious early examination.
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsenal have history on their side
The Gunners have an excellent Community Shield record.
Only Manchester United have won the competition more often than Arsenal’s 17 successes, including shared Shields, while we have won each of our last five appearances.
We’ve also faced Manchester City three times in the Community Shield and won all three – in 1934, 2014 and most recently in 2023, when Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
Arteta himself has never lost a Community Shield, winning twice as an Arsenal player and twice as manager.
If Sunday’s game is level after 90 minutes, there will be no extra time and the trophy will once again be decided by penalties.
Pre-season has served its purpose. Now the champions return to competitive action, and there could hardly be a better way to start their title defence than by collecting the season’s first piece of silverware.
Can Arsenal maintain their excellent Community Shield record and strike the first blow against Maresca’s new-look Manchester City? What’s your predicted score, Gooners? Let us know in the comments.
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