The 2026/27 season is almost here, starting with the **2026 Community Shield** at the **Principality Stadium** in Cardiff, Wales, as Premier League champions **Arsenal** face last season's runners-up and FA Cup winners, **Manchester City**.
It's a new era for City after **Pep Guardiola** ended a decade in charge, with **Enzo Maresca** poised to lead them into another era of success.
For Arsenal, they finally managed to break through the glass ceiling again after three years of runners-up and countless calls of "second again, ole ole" from fans all across the country, but the Gunners have brought that long wait to an end, and now look to kick on towards a potentially success-filled era for the club.
The midfield battle will be crucial
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City did not lose to the Gunners during the three meetings in 2025/26, with the standout area in the Carabao Cup Final, and the title showdown at the Etihad proving to be the midfield battle.
Both **Rodri** and **Bernardo Silva** controlled that area to a T during these two specific fixtures, with the World Cup player of the tournament managing the most touches in both games: **102 in the Carabao Cup Final**, and 85 in the Etihad game.
### Rodri and Silva vs Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi
### Carabao Cup Final
_Rodri - 102_
_Silva - 79_
_Rice - 67_
_Zubimendi - 41_
### Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal: Etihad
_Rodri - 85_
_Silva - 75_
_Rice - 51_
_Zubimendi - 41_
The positive for Arsenal is that both Silva and Rodri won't be involved tomorrow. The Portuguese midfielder joined **Real Madrid** after his contract at Manchester City expired this summer, while Rodri looks to be closing in on a move to join Silva in LaLiga, with Clasico rivals Barcelona in pole position to land the **2024 Ballon D'Or winner**.
**Mikel Arteta**'s side have improved their midfield themselves, with the [signing of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United](https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2026/08/13/arsenal/1267871-did-arsenal-just-reveal-their-community-shield-midfield.html). The Brazilian will add creativity to the Arsenal midfield, having created **45 chances**, by far the most for the Magpies in last season's Premier League. It's that creativity that the Gunners lacked heavily in those two games against City.
Have Arsenal got the attacking quality to hurt City?
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> Cristos Tzolis enjoyed a decent first pre season in red and white (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Manchester City haven't been perfect defensively during pre-season, conceding in all three of their games on their Asia tour; however, the biggest question for Arsenal will be whether they have the attacking quality to hurt Maresca's side.
The Gunners had **50 shots** during their four pre-season games, scoring just eight times.
It seemed that following the penalty heartbreak in last season's UEFA Champions League Final against **PSG**, Arsenal were going to try and make heavy improvement on the attack, and while they've tried, particularly with failed moves for Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Jr, the attack still waits for that added firepower.
Tzolis and Saka in the spotlight
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Cristos Tzolis is the one new face in the attacking areas, replacing a fan favourite in **Leandro Trossard**. The Greek has enjoyed a decent pre-season, with a goal against Girona and an assist against both Borussia Dortmund and Como 1907.
There is a boost that **Bukayo Saka** is back in training following his FIFA World Cup adventures with England, but whether he starts having had no minutes in pre-season is a different question. It potentially opens the door for Max Dowman to start on the right wing, as he continues to take steps as part of the first team.