Arsenal will face off against Manchester City at the Principality Stadium on Sunday as they look to secure a win in the Community Shield final. The Gunners managed to beat Como on penalties in a pre-season friendly match recently, which should give them some confidence going into this game.
Mikel Arteta will opt for the 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to name a strong first XI for this game. David Raya, Cristhian Mosquera and Noni Madueke could all play from the start of this game.
4-2-3-1 Arsenal Predicted Lineup To Face Manchester City
Defence
David Raya will feature in between the sticks for the North London club as he looks to keep a clean sheet this weekend. Cristhian Mosquera could get a chance to impress alongside Gabriel at the heart of the Arsenal backline as they look to keep a good shape on the defensive end of the field.
Ben White will try to impress as the right-back, while Piero Hincapie hopes to give a good account of himself on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will get a chance to go forward and express themselves inside the opponent’s penalty area.
Marli Salmon will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Gabriel of Arsenal during the pre-season friendly match between Arsenal FC and Como Calcio at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Midfield
Myles Lewis-Skelly will anchor the midfield alongside Bruno Guimaraes as they look to dictate the tempo of the game at the centre of the park and engineer some clear-cut chances in the final third.
The talented trio of Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke will play just ahead of them as part of Arteta’s attack. All three of them need to be at the top of their game if the Gunners are to secure a positive result this weekend.
Ethan Nwaneri and Fabio Vieira will have to be content with a spot on the bench as they wait for their chance to shine in the second 45 minutes if needed.
Kai Havertz will spearhead Arsenal’s attack up top. He has to figure out a way to be a constant menace in the final third.
Christos Tzolis and Viktor Gyokeres will be named on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if the Gunners are in need of a goal by then.