Gunners set to clash with Manchester City in season curtain-raiser as Maresca embarks on fresh tenure

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Arsenal and Man City will begin their 2026/27 campaign on Sunday when they take on each other in the Community Shield at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

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The clash, scheduled for 3pm UK time, pits last season’s Premier League champions against a Manchester City side entering a new era following Pep Guardiola’s departure.

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Mikel Arteta will be aiming to start the new campaign with silverware, while City’s new manager Enzo Maresca will look to mark his first competitive game in charge with a statement victory.

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Maresca, who previously worked under Guardiola as Manchester City’s under-21 manager, has inherited a squad that has undergone major changes during the summer.

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Bernardo Silva has moved to Real Madrid, while John Stones and Manuel Akanji have also left the club. Nathan Ake joined Fenerbahce, Tijjani Reijnders is set to move to Al Qadsiah and goalkeeper James Trafford has joined Leeds United.

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City’s biggest signing so far has been Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliott Anderson, who arrived for a reported British-record £116 million fee. Geronimo Rulli has also joined as a backup goalkeeper, while the club has recruited several young prospects.

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City’s pre-season included a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan in Hong Kong before victories over the K League All Stars and Atletico Madrid in South Korea.

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Arteta is confident his players are ready for the opening fixture and is targeting another Community Shield triumph.

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“I love the way the players have come back, most of them earlier than expected, really fit with all the testing, and they all seem in great condition,” Arteta said.

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“The best version of us has to be on Sunday, and that’s the intention: that we have the best performance and the best way to start the season, by lifting the first trophy.”

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Maresca, meanwhile, insists City will treat the match as a competitive final rather than a pre-season friendly.

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“For me personally, it is a trophy. When trophies and a final are there, you always try to win the game, so no friendly game at all,” he said.

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“Arsenal have shown in the last five years that they have always been there. It’s a fantastic team, well managed by Mikel. Last year they won the Premier League; they showed how good they are at this moment, but at the same time, we are City and we are going to try to close the gap and try to compete again.”

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Arsenal will be without William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. Saliba is recovering from a back problem, while Timber remains sidelined with the groin injury that ruled him out of the World Cup.

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Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi have yet to feature in pre-season but have returned to training and could be involved.

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City could also be without several players who went deep into the World Cup, including Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Anderson.

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Rodri will miss the match after undergoing minor back surgery, while Ryan McAidoo is sidelined with a shoulder injury. Jack Grealish, meanwhile, has returned to training after spending last season on loan at Everton.

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Arsenal have a strong record in the Community Shield, having won the competition 17 times, including shared victories. They have also won their last five appearances in the curtain-raiser.

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The Gunners have beaten Manchester City in all three previous Community Shield meetings, winning 4-0 in 1934, 3-0 in 2014 and on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 2023.

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Arteta has also won all four of his previous Community Shield appearances, twice as a player and twice as Arsenal manager.

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Sunday’s match will be decided by a penalty shootout if the score is level after 90 minutes, with no extra time to be played.

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Sam Barrott will referee the contest, assisted by Craig Taylor and Blake Antrobus, while Farai Hallam will serve as fourth official and James Bell will oversee VAR.

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