The 2023-24 Premier League season is almost here, with the first of 380 English topflight matches kicking off on Aug. 11.
But before the action begins, the Community Shield, held between the FA Cup winners and the reigning Premier League champions, will set the tone for the upcoming season.
This year, the traditional curtain-raiser will see treble winners Manchester City take on Arsenal on Aug. 6. As City won both the FA Cup and the Premier League last season, Arsenal, who placed second in the league, will take on the Mancunians.
The Gunners are no strangers to the fixture, having won the Community Shield 16 times. City, on the other hand, have earned six. While some soccer fans see the match as nothing more than a glorified friendly, it can indicate the fitness and fluidity of the competing teams ahead of the upcoming season.
Here's everything you need to know about Sunday’s clash – including the storylines to watch out for.
The details
Manchester City will face Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 11 a.m. ET/ 8 a.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and SN NOW.
Stuart Attwell will referee with Michael Salisbury on VAR. The match will be the 101st edition of the Community Shield.
If the score is level after 90 minutes plus added time, a penalty shootout will decide the winner.
Previous meeting
In their previous meeting, Mikel Arteta’s side fell 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium, which helped Manchester City close the gap at the top of the 2022-23 Premier League table.
City’s midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring in the seventh minute, while John Stones’ header doubled the Blues’ lead on the verge of half-time.
De Bruyne added a third before Rob Holding’s superb strike gave Arsenal a glimmer of hope. However, that hope was short-lived: Erling Haaland slid the ball past Aaron Ramsdale in added time, restoring City’s three-goal lead.
Arsenal begins redemption arc
The Gunners had an exceptional start to the 2022-23 Premier League season, picking up 50 points in their first 19 games.
Despite finishing second in the league, Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the table. No other team in Premier League history has spent that long at the summit without winning the title. Making matters worse, on Jan. 18, Arsenal had an eight-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s men, which they botched in the latter half of the season.
The upcoming campaign holds great promise for the North Londoners. Despite last season’s setbacks — and finding itself in a period of transition — Arsenal aims to reclaim its place at the top of the English league. A win over Manchester City in the Community Shield would be the perfect way to start the Gunners’ redemption arc.
Manchester City remains relentless
It’s no secret that Manchester City had a remarkable 2022-23 campaign.
Guardiola led his side to a historic treble this past year, including a maiden Champions League title, which sent City fans across the globe into a frenzy of joy and relief.
While some teams crumble after a slew of success, City aren’t a squad to succumb to pressure. Instead, their resilience, tactical prowess and winning mentality will make them determined to repeat the treble.
“Even though this team has won a lot in the past few seasons, we are still hungry and we are still here to win again and again,” said City defender Ruben Dias during their pre-season tour in Asia.
As such, City will want to start their new season by adding a Community Shield trophy to their collection. The last time they won the honour was in 2019, and they lost in last summer’s edition 3-1 to Liverpool.
Declan Rice, Mateo Kovačic and other summer signings
Arsenal have had an active summer transfer window, securing Declan Rice from West Ham United, Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Jurrien Timber from Ajax.
The Gunners made headlines when they earned the signature of highly rated midfielder Rice for £105 million, outbidding none other than Manchester City for the West Ham captain. The 24-year-old will bring leadership, experience and depth to Arsenal’s midfield.
Joining Rice is attacking midfielder Havertz, who was acquired for £65 million. The German is intelligent, versatile and will add creativity to Arteta’s lineup. Lastly, 22-year-old Timber, bought for £38.5 million, will bring much-needed strength and hunger to Arsenal’s backline.
On the other hand, City had been relatively quiet on the transfer front. Guardiola signed Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovačic for £30 million from Chelsea. The 29-year-old is known for his consistency and tactical and technical abilities.
They also completed a deal with RB Leipzig star Joško Gvardiol. While the defender isn’t expected to wear a City shirt until after the Community Shield, the 21-year-old’s aggression and speed will help make City’s backline impenetrable.
Many soccer fans will be eagerly awaiting how City and Arsenal’s new signings will fare on Sunday before the start of the Premier League season.
Possible starting XI’s
Manchester City (3-2-4-1): Ederson – Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji – Rodri, John Stones – Jack Grealish, Mateo Kovačic, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva – Erling Haaland.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale – Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber – Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, Martin Ødegaard – Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka
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