FA Community Shield Preview: Arsenal seeks redemption over Manchester City
The 2023-24 Premier League season is sort of right here, with the primary of 380 English topflight matches kicking off on Aug. 11.
But earlier than the motion 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 12 months, the normal curtain-raiser will see treble winners Manchester City tackle Arsenal on Aug. 6. As City received each the FA Cup and the Premier League final season, Arsenal, who positioned second within the league, will tackle the Mancunians.
The Gunners are not any strangers to the fixture, having received the Community Shield 16 occasions. City, then again, have earned six. While some soccer followers see the match as nothing greater than a glorified pleasant, it could point out the health and fluidity of the competing groups forward of the upcoming season.
Here’s every little thing it is advisable to find out about Sunday’s conflict – together with the storylines to be careful for.
The particulars
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 would be the a hundred and first version of the Community Shield.
If the rating is degree after 90 minutes plus added time, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.
Previous assembly
In their earlier assembly, Mikel Arteta’s aspect fell 4-1 on the Etihad Stadium, which helped Manchester City shut the hole on the high of the 2022-23 Premier League desk.
City’s midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring within the seventh minute, whereas John Stones’ header doubled the Blues’ lead on the verge of half-time.
De Bruyne added a 3rd earlier than Rob Holding’s excellent strike gave Arsenal a glimmer of hope. However, that hope was short-lived: Erling Haaland slid the ball previous Aaron Ramsdale in added time, restoring City’s three-goal lead.
Arsenal begins redemption arc
The Gunners had an distinctive begin to the 2022-23 Premier League season, selecting up 50 factors of their first 19 video games.
Despite ending second within the league, Arsenal spent 248 days on the high of the desk. No different staff in Premier League historical past has spent that lengthy on the summit with out successful the title. Making issues worse, on Jan. 18, Arsenal had an eight-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s males, which they botched within the latter half of the season.
The upcoming marketing campaign holds nice promise for the North Londoners. Despite final season’s setbacks — and discovering itself in a interval of transition — Arsenal goals to reclaim its place on the high of the English league. A win over Manchester City within the Community Shield could be the proper strategy to begin the Gunners’ redemption arc.
Manchester City stays relentless
It’s no secret that Manchester City had a outstanding 2022-23 marketing campaign.
Guardiola led his aspect to a historic treble this previous 12 months, together with a maiden Champions League title, which despatched City followers throughout the globe right into a frenzy of pleasure and reduction.
While some groups crumble after a slew of success, City aren’t a squad to succumb to stress. Instead, their resilience, tactical prowess and successful mentality will make them decided 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,” stated City defender Ruben Dias throughout their pre-season tour in Asia.
As such, City will need to begin their new season by including a Community Shield trophy to their assortment. The final time they received the honour was in 2019, and so they misplaced in final summer time’s version 3-1 to Liverpool.
Declan Rice, Mateo Kovačic and different summer time signings
Arsenal have had an lively summer time switch window, securing Declan Rice from West Ham United, Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Jurrien Timber from Ajax.
The Gunners made headlines after they earned the signature of extremely rated midfielder Rice for £105 million, outbidding none apart from Manchester City for the West Ham captain. The 24-year-old will carry management, expertise and depth to Arsenal’s midfield.
Joining Rice is attacking midfielder Havertz, who was acquired for £65 million. The German is clever, versatile and can add creativity to Arteta’s lineup. Lastly, 22-year-old Timber, purchased for £38.5 million, will carry much-needed energy and starvation to Arsenal’s backline.
On the opposite hand, City had been comparatively quiet on the switch entrance. Guardiola signed Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovačic for £30 million from Chelsea. The 29-year-old is thought for his consistency and tactical and technical skills.
They additionally accomplished a cope with RB Leipzig star Joško Gvardiol. While the defender isn’t anticipated to put on a City shirt till after the Community Shield, the 21-year-old’s aggression and velocity will assist make City’s backline impenetrable.
Many soccer followers shall be eagerly awaiting how City and Arsenal’s new signings will fare on Sunday earlier than the beginning of the Premier League season.
Possible beginning 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