2026/2027 Community Shield: Arsenal vs. Manchester City, Probable Lineups

Arsenal and Manchester City face off at 4 p.m. at Principality Stadium in Cardiff for the 2026/2027 Community Shield match, the first trophy of the season in England. The Gunners, the reigning English champions, take on the Citizens, the current FA Cup holders, in a match that promises to be very evenly matched.

During the preseason, Arsenal showed some defensive weaknesses, which led to losses against Betis and Borussia Dortmund. Arteta is expected to start with Havertz as center forward and a trio of attacking midfielders consisting of Dowman, Odegaard, and Tzolis. In midfield: Guimaraes and Lewis-Skelly; on the wings: Calafiori and White.

Maresca’s team, fresh off a friendly victory over Atlético Madrid, will start with the front three of Semenyo, Ait-Nouri, and Marmoush, with Haaland still not in top form and initially on the bench. In midfield, Lewis, Kovacic, and Foden start, while Nunes and Gvardiol play on the wings.

Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Probable Lineups
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly; Dowman, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz. Head Coach: Arteta
Manchester City (4-3-3): Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Lewis, Kovacic, Foden; Semenyo, Ait-Nouri, Marmoush. Head Coach: Maresca

Meanwhile, on the transfer front, after selling Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah for over 60 million euros, Manchester City must now deal with the thorny issue of Rodri. Barcelona is pursuing the Spanish midfielder with an offer that has reached 70 million euros, but City has no intention of letting its captain go under terms it deems unacceptable. This transfer situation inevitably casts a shadow over the internal atmosphere of Maresca’s team.