Arsenal vs Manchester City LIVE
The Premier League champions Arsenal began their 2026/27 campaign with a massive statement of intent as they breezed past Manchester City to win the Community Shield. After an unconvincing summer, both on and off the pitch, some had questioned whether Arsenal would be able to live up to their billing in defending their title, but they largely laid those concerns to rest with an impressive showing against City. They led inside 30 seconds thanks to Riccardo Calafiori, before Kai Havertz headed home to double the advantage on the half-hour mark.
Martin Odegaard then put the cherry on top of a true captain’s performance as he rounded Gianluigi Donnarumma and tapped home to make it three, putting Enzo Maresca to the sword on what he will remember as a hugely disappointing debut with his new side.
There was a number of competitive debuts for both sides, with Arsenal utilising Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes opposite City’s Elliot Anderson. Catch up with the action as it happened below with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis from Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Arsenal vs Man City latest news
- GOAL! Odegaard walks in a third
- GOAL! Havertz doubles lead with header
- GOAL! Calafiori opens scoring in under 30 seconds
- How to watch: TNT Sports
Arsenal lift the 2026 Community Shield!
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FULL TIME: Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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That does it! Arsenal win the Community Shield.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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90+2mins: Marmoush is limping heavily after getting back to his feet. Concerning one for City.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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90+2mins: Marmoush has been caught in a heavy-handed tackle by Mosquera and needs a moment to collect himself before carrying on.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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90mins: The fourth official announces three added minutes as yet another Man City attack breaks down.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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87mins: Cherki’s delivery is really, really poor. Rice is first to it and makes an easy clearance.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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86mins: Cherki stands over a free kick in the right channel, about 30 yards out from goal. Can City get some consolation back here?
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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84mins: The third and final Arsenal goalscorer leaves the pitch. Eze replaces Odegaard.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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81mins: Raya saves well from Semenyo. That was a nicely-hit shot from the winger - more frustration for City.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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80mins: Hincapie drills a low cross in to Saka, who can’t keep his shot under the crossbar.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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79mins: One more change for City - their sixth? - as Nico Gonzalez replaces Mateo Kovacic.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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78mins: He appears to have been subject to an innocuous barge by White. The incident, if you can call it that, has been checked and cleared.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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77mins: Gvardiol is on the turf in the Arsenal box, clutching his face. VAR is checking what happened.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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75mins: And lo, the changes are confirmed. Gyokeres and Zubimendi replace Havertz and Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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74mins: Gyokeres and Zubimendi are stripped and waiting to come on.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
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Lots of Man City possession without much incision. We've seen this before, haven't we. The worst of Pep's (usually excellent) City team meets the worst of Maresca's Chelsea...
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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72mins: Havert sets Tzolis away with a smart flick-on, but the Greek’s through-ball to Saka leaves a little to be desired. The Englishman’s heavy touch does enough to get Donnarumma worried, though, and he races off his line to clear the danger.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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68mins: Arsenal are just going through the motions now - they seem ready enough to just get on the bus back to London. A half-hearted counter-attack from Tzolis is cut short as he is tripped up by Semenyo.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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65mins: It just isn’t happening for City, here. Passes aren’t coming off, one-twos aren’t landing right, shots are being shanked. They’ve not been short of possession, but they’ve been deeply uninspiring with the ball at their feet.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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63mins: A superb team move from Arsenal, Odegaard-inspired, ends as Saka beats Gvardiol and shoots into the side netting.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
16:24 , Arthur Ferridge
Good to see both Saka and Rice on the pitch, but plenty of Arsenal fans will also be delighted they didn't start today. They simply didn't need to - and there are bigger games to come as their title defence begins on Friday night against Coventry.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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60mins: And there is a change for Arsenal too, with Saka and Hincapie replacing Calafiori and Madueke.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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60mins: Here come those City changes. Anderson and Foden are hooked in favour of Cherki and Lewis.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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57mins: Rico Lewis and Rayan Cherki are being prepped to come on now. Maresca is throwing the kitchen sink at this.
Cherki will presumably replace Foden, who has just attempted a shot on the volley and badly misjudged it, shanking his effort well wide.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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55mins: Anderson is down and appears to be in a bit of pain after a coming-together with Lewis-Skelly. He does not get the foul he’s after, and hops back to his feet just in time to get retribution against Odegaard.
Replays show Lewis-Skelly caught him on the ankle with his studs up. He seems to have got away with one there.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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53mins: Arsenal have been pinned back for a couple minutes but finally get a chance to break through Havertz - until he is unceremoniously clattered by Gvardiol. The Croatian, despite his protestations, is booked.
Maresca takes the chance to make changes. Haaland and O’Reilly are replaced by Marmoush and Guehi.
Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City
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52mins: Semenyo looks to find Haaland with a cross, but it takes a deflection at an inopportune moment.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
16:12 , Arthur Ferridge
Wow. The sheer audacity of the way Odegaard baited Donnarumma there and passed the ball into an empty net tells the story of this Community Shield: it has been a procession. Arsenal well and truly at the races, City, despite this being a new dawn, look hungover.
GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City | Odegaard '48
16:11 , Arthur Ferridge
Another rapid start from Arsenal, and it is a fantastic goal from Odegaard! His first touch is perfect as he beats Gvardiol on the penalty spot and then beats Donnarumma with a deft fake shot before tapping in from close range. What a goal.
2ND HALF: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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The second half is underway, and our subs are confirmed.
Jack Grealish has replaced Jeremy Doku, and Declan Rice has come on in place of Bruno Guimaraes.
Man City changes
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Jack Grealish is set to replace Jeremy Doku for the second half!
First half pictures
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An Arsenal legend reflects on Calafiori's opener
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COYG!!! Ooops we’ve already scored!!!!! 👊♥️
— David Seaman MBE ~ SafeHands (@thedavidseaman) August 16, 2026
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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There’s the break! Arsenal two to the good, City with plenty of work to do.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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45+1mins: Goalline clearance from Gvardiol! Donnarumma spills Havertz’s cross and it falls to an off-balance Odegaard, whose half-strength shot bobbles goalwards before the Croatian can intervene.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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There will be one added minute.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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43mins: Almost a brace for Calafiori! He races forward to latch onto White’s cross, but side-foots it over the bar.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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41mins: Madueke’s turn to do the same as his shot from the corner of the box is easily parried by Donnarumma.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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41mins: Kovacic has a speculative attempt from distance, which doesn’t appear to be on target but Raya makes the save anyway.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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40mins: SAVE! Raya gets down quickly to deny Haaland, who lashed Doku’s cross goalwards with some venom.
City come again and this time Doku shoots from close range, but an acrobatic block from White denies him.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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38mins: Calafiori, from hero to zero. The Italian is booked for simulation! He leaves a foot in after Khusanov’s tackle and appeals theatrically for a penalty before having his own name taken.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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37mins: Madueke forces a save from Donnarumma after latching onto White’s lofted through ball, but the flag goes up after the Italian succeeds in making the stop.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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35mins: Haaland is handed his first shooting chance after Doku plays him in, but Gabriel forces him wide and the shot is, well, unthreatening.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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34mins: Foden whips another lovely cross into the box, but no City player can get anywhere near it. Haaland is content to watch it fly behind for a goal-kick.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
15:35 , Arthur Ferridge
A nice moment for Havertz, there, but probably just as nice for the assister Tzolis, who nodded the ball back across goal for the German to score. An assist on the Greek’s competitive debut. Feels a bit of a procession, this. City really poor.
Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
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30mins: Arsenal are firmly in the driver’s seat now. Two to the good and every bit deserving leaders. It seems they will once again be a force to be reckoned with this season.
City, meanwhile, have hardly laid a glove on them.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City | Havertz '28
15:32 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal’s lead is deservedly doubled! Odegaard hooks a lovely cross to Tzolis, who nods it back across goal for Havertz to bundle home at the far post. Donnarumma gets a hand to it, but can’t keep it out.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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26mins: White sends Madueke forwards with a nicely placed through-ball, but Gvardiol comes across to cut it out.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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24mins: Raya claims the corner and throws it out to Tzolis, who appears to have been pulled down by Foden as he looked to break. Foden is booked.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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23mins: Arsenal lay siege to the City box. Madueke attempts to dribble goalwards but is forced out by Doku, though his flick to the byline puts Guimaraes into some useful space. He dawdles in playing the cross, though, and the chance falls apart.
City counter shortly thereafter through Doku, who only has Haaland in support, but a tidy tackle from Gabriel prevents them from connecting.
Corner for City now.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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22mins: Havertz catches a stud to the top of the foot from his old Chelsea team-mate Kovacic. He goes down in a heap but will be fine to soldier on.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
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Good stop there from Raya, who stayed alert despite having nothing to do beforehand. His reactions are some of the best in the league and keep Arsenal in the lead here, denying Foden.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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20mins: This is quite tentative attacking from City, but the chances are coming. Foden forces Raya into a save with a low curling effort from the edge of the box.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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18mins: Anderson whips a tidy cross into the Arsenal box which is a matter of centimetres over the head of Haaland. Not far away at all.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
15:22 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal definitely deserve their lead. They haven’t looked particularly likely to add to it since earning it, but they have City’s number here in Cardiff. Maresca’s side looking dependent on Foden carrying forward on transitions at the moment. They can’t seem to build gradually and have offered no goal threat as yet. Arsenal on top.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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15mins: Kovacic makes a driving run through the middle of the park to put City on the attack, but Arsenal track back so fast, he promptly runs out of space.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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14mins: Another cross goes into the box and Gabriel hits the deck after some wrestling with Khusanov, but the Brazilian is the penalised party.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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13mins: O’Reilly gets his head to the corner before anyone else. Arsenal 0 for 1 on set pieces in 2026/27.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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12mins: The first corner of Arsenal’s season is upon us after Madueke broke to the byline and saw his cross pushed behind by Gvardiol.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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11mins: Penny for your thoughts, Enzo.
This certainly is not how he might have envisioned the first match of his Man City tenure.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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10mins: City are growing into this after that nightmare start. Anderson sees a cross beaten away, before Gvardiol’s pinged pass to Semenyo is ushered out of play by the goalscorer Calafiori.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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7mins: Odegaard bears down on goal after Kovacic loses the ball in midfield, but his pass for Madueke is poor and the attack ends prematurely.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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6mins: Another threatening moment for Arsenal as Tzolis jinks into the box and sees a deflected cross caught by Donnarumma.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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4mins: It has been all Arsenal since that excitable opening minute. Odegaard looks to loft a pass to Havertz in the box, which is cut out and City’s break is impeded as White trips Doku.
Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium
15:07 , Arthur Ferridge
A goal made by one left-back and scored by another. What an impressively fast start by Arsenal. A huge roar as soon as it went in.
Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City
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Myles Lewis-Skelly won the ball and threaded a lovely pass up to Calafiori, who made no mistake from the edge of the six-yard box. Remarkable start for Arsenal.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City | Calafiori '1
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ARSENAL LEAD IMMEDIATELY! Calafiori bags the opener inside 30 seconds! What a start to the season!
KICK-OFF! Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City
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The 2026 Community Shield is up and running!
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The pomp and ceremony is all squared away now, meaning there is one thing left to do.
The football will be underway momentarily!
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A brief delay as Mike Summerbee takes his sweet time shaking hands with each member of either side’s starting lineup.
Time now for the national anthem.
Here we go...
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The players are making their way to the pitch. Kick-off, up next!
Team news reminder
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With ten minutes to kickoff, here’s a reminder of today’s starting lineups.
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Mosquera, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Odegaard; Madueke, Havertz, Tzolis
Man City XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic, Anderson; Semenyo, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Grealish back in the fold
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Jack Grealish is on the bench for Man City today, with his club-level future still up in the air.
The winger has never quite hit the expected heights for City since moving for £100m from Aston Villa and spent last season on loan at Everton, where he was adored.
The Toffees are thought to be keen to take him back for another campaign, but it remains unclear whether a deal will be done before Deadline Day.
Can he impress today?
Is the Community Shield a friendly? Arteta and Maresca respond
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Arteta: “It is a trophy that we can have. We won [a trophy] last year through the Premier League. You can tell how hungry the players are, which is a good sign.”
Maresca: “When a trophy is there for the taking, you always try to win the game. It isn't a friendly game at all, it is a trophy opportunity.”
Arsenal's defensive holes
14:37 , Arthur Ferridge
The early days of Arsenal’s season may well be defined by the absences of Jurrien Timber and William Saliba.
The former has been carrying an injury since the latter stages of last season, while the latter has a back problem which is expected to keep him out for some time.
Both men played a key part in Arsenal’s rock-solid back line last season, which was key to their Premier League title heroics.
How will they cope without them? We’ll get a look at the plan for the first time today as Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera comprise the right-hand side of the back four.
Dom Smith previews the Community Shield
14:32 , Arthur Ferridge
🗣️ "A mouthwatering fixture which should give us an indication of how the season might go"
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) August 16, 2026
🎙️ @MrDomSmith previews the Community Shield from the Principality Stadium
FOLLOW LIVE: https://t.co/FBhRmUS5FL#ARSMCI pic.twitter.com/pPu6hqQpOp
Arsenal vs Man City head to head
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Arsenal and Man City have previously met twice in the Community Shield, with the Gunners emerging victorious on both occasions.
Arsenal wins: 101
Man City wins: 67
Draws: 48
Arrivals in Cardiff
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Dom Smith on the matchday programme
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There’s a feature on Jeremy Monga in today’s Community Shield programme. #AFC wanted him initially, then #MCFC swooped. Appropriate. pic.twitter.com/3irFzRmcrZ
— Dom Smith (@MrDomSmith) August 16, 2026
Mikel Arteta speaks to TNT Sports
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On his time off: “Plenty of rest, some work done as well. It was a break I really enjoyed.”
On bedding in new signings: “Christos (Tzolis) came early which always helps, and Bruno joined us last week. He is in good condition and we know what he can bring to the team.”
On helping Rice and Saka recover: “It is not only the physical load, but the mental load as well. They knew the final was today, they all wanted to come back early and be involved.”
On what Bruno Guimaraes will offer: “He is going to drive the dressing room, up the standards. When you bring a player of his quality he will make the whole team better.”
Arsenal vs Man City latest odds
14:10 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal to win: 2/1
Man City to win: 29/20
Odds via BetFair (Subject to change)
Unpacking the Man City XI
14:05 , Arthur Ferridge
An interesting lineup from City, with Elliot Anderson making his full debut at the base of midfield next to Mateo Kovacic.
Erling Haaland is straight back in at the deep end, starting up top in place of Omar Marmoush despite only recently returning from his summer holidays.
Phil Foden is restored in the No10, with Rayan Cherki on the bench along with Marc Guehi and summer signing Geronimo Rulli.
Tijjani Reijnders is left out as he closes in on a move away from the club.
MAN CITY CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
13:59 , Arthur Ferridge
Man City XI: Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Kovacic, Anderson; Semenyo, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Subs: Rulli, Guehi, Marmoush, Cherki, Nico, Grealish, Ait-Nouri, Nunes, Lewis
How did Arsenal fare in pre-season?
13:58 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal’s pre-season results were distinctly mixed but underpinned by questions over form and sharpness.
Of course, one cannot read too deep into a friendly, but here are the Gunners’ summer results in full:
4-1 W vs Girona
3-1 L vs Real Betis
3-2 L vs Borussia Dortmund
1-1 D vs Como (4-3 W after pens)
Two high-profile absentees
13:58 , Arthur Ferridge
Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri have both been left out of Arsenal’s matchday squad for the Community Shield.
Both have been linked with moves away from the club this summer.
Unpacking the Arsenal XI
13:50 , Arthur Ferridge
The headline here is that Bruno Guimaraes starts, making his full competitive debut for Arsenal. Joining him in midfield are Myles Lewis-Skelly, who seems to have played down his chances of leaving the club this summer, and captain Martin Odegaard.
Christos Tzolis also makes his full debut, and he is joined in the front three by Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are both on the bench, with this match coming too soon for them to start. Eberechi Eze is also among the substitutes.
Ben White is in at right-back, with Jurrien Timber injured.
ARSENAL CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS
13:46 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Mosquera, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Odegaard; Madueke, Havertz, Tzolis
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Merino, Rice, Eze, Dowman, Saka, Gyokeres
What's on the line today...
13:43 , Arthur Ferridge
Here’s the light at the end of the tunnel. Which of these two sides will kick off the 2026/27 campaign with a piece of silverware?
Fans filter into Cardiff
13:35 , Arthur Ferridge
The trek to Wales has not deterred many fans. They are already out in force in the Welsh capital, where an Arsenal-sympathetic crowd is expected.
Arsenal vs Man City predicted XIs
13:28 , Arthur Ferridge
Team news should be released shortly. Here’s how we think both sides might line up here.
Predicted Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly; Dowman, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz
Predicted Man City XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Kovacic, Nico; Semenyo, Foden, Doku; Marmoush
Arsenal's Community Shield record
13:21 , Arthur Ferridge
Arsenal, meanwhile, are also Community Shield regulars, taking home the top prize 17 times in 24 attempts.
Their most recent win came in 2023, at the expense of Man City after Leandro Trossard’s 90+11 equaliser forced a penalty shootout.
The Belgian converted one of Arsenal’s four spot-kicks, too, with Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Fabio Viera following suit after Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri both missed for City.
Man City's Community Shield record
13:13 , Arthur Ferridge
Man City have a dreadful record in the Community Shield. Having played the match 16 times - the fourth-most of any club - they have just seven wins.
At 43 per cent, theirs is the second-worst win rate of any club to have appeared in the fixture more than ten times. Only Chelsea’s record of four wins in 13 attempts is worse.
It necessarily follows that City have played in four of the last five Community Shields and only won once.
Why isn't the Community Shield being played at Wembley?
13:04 , Arthur Ferridge
As the start of the new Premier League season was delayed by one week, due in part to an expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, the dates no longer align for Wembley Stadium to host the Community Shield.
Canadian pop star The Weeknd has booked five nights at Wembley, between August 14 and 19, for his After Hours Til Dawn Tour.
As such, this means the Community Shield will instead be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales for the first time in two decades. It last played host for five seasons between 2001 and 2006.
Other stadiums to have hosted the Community Shield include the King Power Stadium, Villa Park, Maine Road, Elland Road, Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.
Standard Sport prediction
12:56 , Arthur Ferridge
Neither Arsenal nor Man City have been at full strength during pre-season, so this is shaping up to be a close game.
A penalty shootout cannot be ruled out, especially as four of the last six Community Shield matches have been settled in that fashion - including the last time these two teams met in this fixture in 2023.
However, we think with Man City looking a little bit sharper than the Gunners, Maresca will get his reign off to a winning start.
Man City to win, 2-0.
Man City early team news: Rodri absent, Anderson debut
12:48 , Arthur Ferridge
Man City are set to be without Rodri for this game. The Spaniard has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona and only returned to City on Friday following his post-World Cup break and a minor back procedure.
Erling Haaland was back in training on Thursday after his own post-World Cup holiday and a minor fitness issue, but is unlikely to lead the line in Cardiff. Phil Foden, Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush, though, should all be raring to go.
New £116million signing Elliot Anderson is pushing to make the matchday squad after joining up following England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals.
Arsenal early team news: Early season injury worries
12:41 , Arthur Ferridge
Bruno Guimaraes is in line to make his competitive Arsenal debut today after featuring as a substitute in the final pre-season friendly against Como on Wednesday evening.
Arteta has a decision to make in defence with William Saliba and Jurrien Timber both sidelined through injury. Cristhian Mosquera is the favourite to partner Gabriel at centre-back, but youngster Marli Salmon has impressed in pre-season.
Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to start in midfield, likely alongside captain Martin Odegaard as Kai Havertz moves into a more familiar centre-forward role.
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi are all set to return to the squad, though they are unlikely to start having not played a single minute of pre-season due to their World Cup exploits.
How to watch the Community Shield
12:34 , Arthur Ferridge
TV channel: In the UK, the 2026 Community Shield contest between Arsenal and Manchester City is being televised live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with coverage beginning at 2pm BST ahead of a 3pm kick-off in Cardiff.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also watch the game live online via the HBO Max app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action with Standard Sport’s live blog, featuring analysis from Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium. That’s this one. You’re in the right place. Don’t go anywhere.
Good afternoon
12:27 , Arthur Ferridge
Hello, and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Arsenal vs Manchester City in the 2026 Community Shield!
After a long summer of pre-season, competitive club football is finally back. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Will the Gunners add more silverware to their cabinet on the first day of the season, or will Enzo Maresca make a winning start to his new job?
All will be revealed, with kick-off pencilled in for 3pm.
Dom Smith is at the Principality Stadium to bring you all the updates. Stick with us!