Arsenal vs Man City: Preview, Team News and Score Prediction as Mikel Arteta Eyes First Trophy

The 2026-27 English football season kicks off this Sunday as Premier League champions Arsenal face FA Cup winners Manchester City in the Community Shield at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

This curtain-raiser is a rematch of the 2023 edition, where Mikel Arteta's side famously defeated Pep Guardiola's team on penalties. However, this time, a new face will be in the City dugout, with Enzo Maresca taking charge of his first competitive match.

Arsenal will have fond memories of Cardiff, the city where Patrick Vieira's penalty secured the 2005 FA Cup. Eighteen years later, another Vieira—Fabio—emulated the feat by converting the decisive spot-kick against Manchester City in the 2023 Community Shield.

The Gunners have shown a knack for penalty shootouts during their pre-season, defeating Borussia Dortmund and Como from the spot after draws at the Emirates. Despite a mixed bag of summer friendly results, which saw them win only one of their four official matches, their history in this competition is formidable.

Arsenal are aiming for their 18th Community Shield title, a tally bettered only by Manchester United's 21. A victory on Sunday would see the Gunners equal United's 17 outright wins, as one of their previous triumphs was a shared title.

In contrast, Manchester City are chasing their eighth Community Shield, with three of their seven previous wins coming under Guardiola. Their last victory in this fixture was in 2024, also via a penalty shootout against rivals Manchester United.

City, who qualified by beating Chelsea in the 2026 FA Cup final, enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season under new manager Enzo Maresca. Following a draw and subsequent penalty loss to Inter Milan, they recorded consecutive 3-1 victories over a K-League XI and Atletico Madrid. In the latter match, Omar Marmoush scored a brace while star striker Erling Haaland was absent.

Haaland, however, was the difference-maker when the teams last met in April, scoring in a 2-1 win at the Etihad. City have lost just one of their last six encounters with Arsenal and are looking to secure a third consecutive victory over the North London club for the first time since 2023.

Arsenal's pre-season has been hampered by defensive injuries. Mikel Arteta will be without Jurrien Timber (groin) and William Saliba (back), with the latter facing a longer spell on the sidelines. However, the rest of the squad is available for selection.

Key players like Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Martín Zubimendi are unlikely to start, having not featured in any pre-season games. New £75m signing Bruno Guimaraes is expected to make his full debut after a substitute appearance against Como. Goalkeeper David Raya, who saved two penalties in that match, is set to start ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga.

For Manchester City, Erling Haaland has returned to training but is expected to begin on the bench due to his lack of match fitness. Manager Enzo Maresca may also be forced into changes from the side that beat Atletico.

Savio is a doubt after missing training with an illness, while Tijjani Reijnders is reportedly close to a £52m move to the Saudi Pro League. With Rodri unavailable following back surgery, Nico Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic are poised to form the midfield pivot. New signing Elliot Anderson is likely to be named among the substitutes.

Arsenal possible starting lineup: Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Hincapie; Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly; Madueke, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz

Manchester City possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Kovacic, Gonzalez; Savinho, Foden, Semenyo; Marmoush

With the Community Shield foregoing extra time and heading straight to a penalty shootout if the match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, a spot-kick decider seems highly probable for Sunday's contest.

Having already secured two victories from the penalty spot during their pre-season preparations, Mikel Arteta's squad appears well-prepared.