Arsenal and Manchester City will begin the 2026/27 English football season with a blockbuster Community Shield clash at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday.

The fixture pits Premier League champions Arsenal against FA Cup holders Manchester City, with both Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca facing important selection decisions.

Arsenal sealed their first league title in 22 years last season. They have a strong recent record in this fixture, winning the 2023 edition against City on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and hold overall superiority in previous Community Shield meetings between the sides. City, however, have the upper hand in recent encounters, including a 2-1 Premier League win in April 2026 and victory in the Carabao Cup final.

Arsenal are expected to welcome back several key players following their extended post-World Cup breaks. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi are available, although their limited pre-season involvement could influence how Arteta manages them. New signing Bruno Guimaraes is in line to make his first competitive start for the Gunners.

William Saliba and Jurrien Timber remain unavailable through injury. That could see Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera partner Gabriel in defence, with Riccardo Calafiori completing the back four. Arteta confirmed the likes of Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are set for selection, and the former may be handed a start for this match.

Manchester City, meanwhile, begin the Maresca era with several fitness questions. Rodri has returned to training following back surgery but is unlikely to feature, while Savinho, Jack Grealish also have fitness concerns. New signing Elliot Anderson is set to feature in midfield for them, while Erling Haaland may lead the line.

Arsenal vs Manchester City Predicted Starting XI

Arsenal predicted XI: David Raya; Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori; Bruno Guimaraes, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Christos Tzolis; Kai Havertz

Manchester City predicted XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Mateo Kovacic, Nico Gonzalez; Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku; Omar Marmoush.