Arsenal and Manchester City meet for the first silverware of the new campaign as Mikel Arteta’s side head to Cardiff on Sunday.
Arsenal take on Manchester City in the Community Shield this Sunday, as the Premier League champions travel to Cardiff for their first chance of silverware for the 2026/27 season.
Arsenal earned their spot by ending a 22-year wait for a league title, while Manchester City arrive as FA Cup holders, the pair meet at the Principality Stadium, due to a scheduling clash with Wembley, the traditional host for the season's curtain-raiser.
Arsenal will want to rectify a poor pre-season with a win, having won just one of their four pre-season games. The Community Shield sits as the final test before the Premier League champions welcome newly promoted Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium for the season opener.
Arsenal Team News
The Gunners continue to be without two of their main defensive options, with both Jurrien Timber and William Saliba set to watch from the sidelines
Saliba is not expected to return soon, sidelined with a back problem he carried throughout the World Cup. Whilst Jurrien Timber is still “weeks away’ from a return, according to Mikel Arteta.
After making his first appearance against Como in midweek, Bruno Guimaraes could be in contention for a start for the Gunners. The £75 million signing returned to club training late following Brazil’s run to the Round of 16, before completing his move to Arsenal. That late return, before his transfer, meant the midfielder had completed only three training sessions with the Gunners before his appearance against Como.
England international’s Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke both featured against Como, each making 30-minute cameos, whilst Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka didn’t feature in the Matchday squad despite having returned to training.
Man City Form and Team News
Manchester City have had a more fruitful pre-season, winning two of their three matches under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
City opened their pre-season with a draw against Inter Milan, before beating a K League All-Stars side 3-1. City rounded off their Asian tour with another 3-1 win, this time against Atletico Madrid.
City have found themselves in a similar situation, with a number of World Cup players absent for much of their pre-season tour. Maresca has had to decide how quickly he can bring back some of his senior players without risking injuries.
Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and £116 million summer signing Elliot Anderson are all yet to have played a single minute in pre-season, raising questions about who Maresca will line up with for the Community Shield.
What to Expect
Arsenal will need to step up from their pre-season form if they wish to make anything of the Community Shield. Striker Victor Gyokeres had already dismissed any idea that the Gunners would be treating this as a friendly.
Arteta was pleased with the performance against Como, despite it not translating into a win, feeling that the Gunners should’ve made more of their chances in front of goal.
“With what we generate in the game probably the scoreline should have been different and that’s the part that in my opinion we have to improve.”
However, Man City have shown that they still carry a significant attacking threat through pre-season, despite not having their full squad. Antoine Semenyo is the standout performer alongside Omar Marmoush as they breezed past Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal’s injury-struck defence will therefore face an immediate test, potentially stretching how deep their midfield sits to offer protection,
The Gunners have won just one of their last five matches against City, so are familiar with just how difficult the match ahead of them could be. Arsenal do have Community Shield form on their side though, beating Man City in their last two meetings in the competition, whilst remaining unbeaten in the Community Shield since 2005.
When Is the Match?
Arsenal play Manchester City on Sunday, August 16, with kick-off at 3pm BST.
Due to a pre-planned concert at Wembley, The Community shield returns to Cardiff for the first time since 2006, hosted at the Principality Stadium.
How to Watch the Match
Arsenal vs Manchester City will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.
TNT Sports coverage is also available via Prime Video and NOW in the UK.
Prediction
Both managers have had to deal with the absence of several key players during pre-season due to the World Cup. With Arsenal missing key defenders and City’s internationals only just returning, it’s a tough one to predict.
There’s still plenty of quality on both sides, and the Gunners showed against Como that they’re creating chances, even if the finishing isn’t quite there yet.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-1 Manchester City, Arsenal to win on penalties.