Arsenal and Manchester City clash at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff for the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season. The Gunners ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title last term, while City, who pushed them closest, begin a new era under Enzo Maresca following Pep Guardiola's departure. Maresca's side, winners of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, have seen significant changes at the Etihad, with Rodri potentially following Guardiola out of the door.
Team News and Key Absences
Elliot Anderson is set to anchor City's midfield after his £116m move from Nottingham Forest, the club's most significant signing of the summer. Erling Haaland missed the final pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid and was absent from part of Thursday's open training, but Maresca eased fitness concerns, confirming the striker is available for selection. However, Haaland has no pre-season minutes under his belt after helping Norway reach the World Cup quarter-finals, so his starting spot is uncertain. Omar Marmoush, who scored twice in the 3-1 win over Atletico, could keep his place.
Rodri, the World Cup winner, is the subject of a £55m offer from Barcelona, but he is set to miss out for a different reason: he underwent minor back surgery immediately after the World Cup and was absent from training on Thursday. Tijani Reijnders is also likely to be absent, with the Dutchman in talks to join Saudi side Al Qadsiah. Anderson, Marc Guehi, and Rayan Cherki have only recently returned to training.
Arsenal's New Recruits and Injury Concerns
Arsenal fans will be eager to see new signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, both hoping to start. Guimaraes, the former Newcastle United captain, made his debut midweek against Como, while Tzolis has impressed during pre-season. Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Zubimendi have returned to the squad after extended breaks but have not played a minute of pre-season football, only resuming training this week. Mikel Arteta has confirmed the trio are available, but he may give Rice and Saka extra rest before the league opener against Coventry City next week.
There are defensive concerns, with William Saliba facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a back problem. Jurrien Timber is back in training but appears to be weeks away from returning to action.
Match Details
The Community Shield kicks off at 3pm this afternoon (Sunday 16 August). The match is live on TNT Sports 1, with streaming available on the HBO Max app. Metro will also provide a live matchday blog.
