Arsenal XI vs Man City: Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Community Shield today

Arsenal vs Man City LIVE

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The first silverware of the season is up for grabs this afternoon as Arsenal and Manchester City face off in the 2026 Community Shield. A summer of pre-season football is now a thing of the past, with the 2026/27 campaign getting underway in earnest with its traditional curtain-raiser. After a series of uninspiring friendlies, Arsenal are now expected to show their hand ahead of a first Premier League title defence since 2004/05.

City, meanwhile, have a new manager in the dugout in Enzo Maresca, who will be keen to show he has what it takes to follow the example set by Pep Guardiola over the past decade. The Community Shield has featured City in four of its last six editions, but the Manchester side do not tend to perform in this competition. They have won only seven of their 16 appearances in it.

Expect a number of competitive debuts for both sides, with Arsenal expected to utilise Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes opposite Elliot Anderson. Follow the action LIVE 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

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Dom Smith at the Principality Stadium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11mins: Penny for your thoughts, Enzo.

This certainly is not how he might have envisioned the first match of his Man City tenure.

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Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City

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.