Nick Ames was at Wembley for us; I’ll leave you with his match report. Happy new season!
Watch Arsenal lift the Community Shield
Arsenal are winners of the Community Shield 2023! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Om7FOtxrKU
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
This team never gives up ✊ pic.twitter.com/yUnVbtkEkm
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 6, 2023
Post-match reaction
Aaron Ramsdale
We’ve been working hard on penalties for about two years. I haven’t had the luck that I needed in previous seasons. We go with our plans and it worked away.
[What does this win mean?] I’m not sure, I’ll be honest. They’re a bit behind us in their pre-season. But to us it’s a marker that we can beat Man City in a big game, when it matters. I’m not sure what it’ll be like during the season, but any mental block has gone. We’re now ready to push on.
Declan Rice
I’m absolutely buzzing. This is what I envisioned when I joined the club. It was a really tough game, but we dug in there, created some really good chances and had a bit of luck at the end.
You just have to be patient against them. The manager said before the game that it’s like a load of little games rolled into one. They move and change so much. You can ger frustrated but it’s about sticking to what the manager wants. It’s my first [trophy] for this club, and Aaron’s, so we’re buzzing.
I feel like I’ve grown so much already in the three weeks I’ve been here. There’s a lot of information to take in on what the manager to wants. I’m eager to learn and keep improving. With this team we’ve got – the manager, the staff – we can achieve anything this year. We need to stay focussed, stay together and enjoy today.
"This is what I envisioned upon joining the club!" 🤩
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
Declan Rice and Aaron Ramsdale speak to @gabrielclarke05 following Arsenal's Community Shield victory over Manchester City! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/F0MpHlzMDa
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Patrick Vieira’s winning penalty in the 2005 FA Cup final, his last kick for Arsenal, hit almost exactly the same sport as Fabio’s today.
Mikel Arteta has the biggest smile in north west London as he walks round applauding the Arsenal fans. I’ve never seen a team, or a fanbase, celebrate a Community Shield victory with such gusto. For someone of my age it doesn’t really compute. But then none of these players are my age. In modern football, especially when you are trying to hunt down Manchester City, this game clearly matters.
Arsenal are Community Shield champions!! 🏆
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
Fabio Vieira's penalty sealed the win for the Gunners! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/8L7097f4vr
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Arsenal win the Community Shield!
Vieira scores! Arsenal 1-1 Man City (4-1 pens)
Fabio Vieira whips a terrific penalty into the top right corner, sparking wild celebrations among the Arsenal players.
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Rodri misses! Arsenal 3-1 Man City
Ramsdale saves to his right – it was a poor penalty – and Arsenal are one kick away from victory.
Saka scores! Arsenal 3-1 Man City
For the third time, Ortega is sent the wrong way. Saka dummies to go left and then drags the ball into the other corner.
Bernardo scores! Arsenal 2-1 Man City
Another fine penalty, curled into the side netting. Ramsdale went the wrong way, to his left.
Trossard scores! Arsenal 2-0 Man City
A good penalty, calmly passed into the bottom-right corner. Ortega went the wrong way.
De Bruyne hits the bar! Arsenal 1-0 Man City
Ramsdale went the wrong way, to his left, but De Bruyne walloped it onto the underside of the bar.
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Odegaard scores! Arsenal 1-0 Man City
Nicely done. He went left, Ortega went the other way. Odegaard’s impassioned celebration is a reminder that Arsenal really want to win this.
Time for the penalties. Martin Odegaard will go first.
Full time: Arsenal 1-1 Man City
The Community Shield will be decided by a penalty competition. Cole Palmer’s lovely goal seemed to have won it for City, only for Leandro Trossard – who was full of purpose when he came on as substitute – to force an own goal from Manuel Akanji in the 101st minute.
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90+13 min Almost an even later winner, with De Bruyne’s inswinging free-kick just evading the stretching Dias in front of goal.
Saka’s corner was headed back to him by Rodri. He pushed it infield to Trossard, whose speculative shot from the edge of the area hit both Alvarez and Akanji before wrongfooting Ortega.
You would not believe it!! 🤯
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
Arsenal have found an equaliser with 100 minutes on the clock! 😳 pic.twitter.com/i7CO6zWfGD
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GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Man City (Akanji og 90+11)
It’s going to penalties!
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90+10 min White wins a corner off Foden. Saka will take it…
90+9 min Smith Rowe and Partey combine well to find Saka on the edge of the area. He beats his man but then slightly overhits a routine pass to the overlapping Fabio Vieira, whose cross is cut out at the near post.
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90+7 min That stoppage means we’ll have around 12 minutes of added time.
90+6 min They’re both going to continue.
90+5 min Walker and Partey are both having their head bandaged.
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90+2 min Walker and Partey are down after a clash of heads. I was going to describe it as ‘nasty’, but you don’t really get a pleasant clash of heads, do you.
90+1 min Eight minutes of added time.
90 min This is the problem with new regulations: you have to stick to them. All the time, no exceptions, or it’ll get ugly. Rodri brazenly pulls back Partey, then Bernardo Silva kicks the ball away before the free-kick can be taken. Neither are booked.
The referee Stuart Attwell might not have seen Bernardo kick the ball away but he should probably have booked Rodri for a challenge that was somewhere between a rugby tackle and a bear hug.
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89 min Ramsdale’s poor pass goes straight to De Bruyne, 25 yards out. He makes a beeline for goal and is very well tackled by Partey.
87 min City have bossed the game since Kevin De Bruyne and the goalscorer Cole Palmer came on. Phil Foden has also made an impact with his urgency.
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87 min: Arsenal substitutions Gabriel and Kai Havertz are replaced by Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira.
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86 min City are four minutes away from another trophy. They’ve got the Super Cup in 10 days’ time as well.
83 min: Another good save from Ramsdale! De Bruyne flashes the corner to the near post, where Rodri stoops to flick a header towards goal. Ramsdale is a couple of yards of his line, and too far across, but he makes up for his imperfect positioning by plunging to his right to make an excellent reaction save.
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82 min: Terrific save from Ramsdale! White loses the ball to Alvarez, who scurries to the edge of the area, turns back inside and slides a pass into Foden. He moves smoothly away from Saliba and hits a right-footed shot that is turned behind superbly by Ramsdale. Foden, who has been up for this more than any other player, waves his hands in frustration.
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81 min: Arsenal substitution Eddie Nketiah replaces Declan Rice, who like Timber had a solid debut. Kai Havertz will probably move back into midfield.
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80 min As the greatest commentator of them all was wont to say, “Lovely goal! Lovely goal!”
It was always going to take something special... 🙌
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
What a hit from Cole Palmer!! 🤩#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/cUSRv7cUpS
Foden broke the press with a beautiful turn away from Partey in his own half. His eventual pass towards Palmer went astray, but Tierney, on the stretch, could only poke the ball towards De Bruyne. He headed it quickly towards Palmer, just inside the area on the right. Palmer cut inside on his left foot, away from the recovering Tierney, and shaped a nonchalant curling shot into the far corner. Ramsdale had no chance. You knew it was in even before the net rippled.
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Man City (Palmer 77)
Cole Palmer gives City the lead with a delightful goal!
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76 min: Another Arsenal substitution Kieran Tierney is on at left-back for Jurrien Timber. Arsenal have so much depth in their squad.
75 min: Arsenal substitution Leandro Trossard replaces Gabriel Martinelli.
75 min This is City’s best spell of the half. De Bruyne’s imaginative left-footed cross from a narrow position is just too far in front of Alvarez.
73 min Rodri pings a crossfield pass to find Walker in space on the right. His cross is turned behind by Timber, who has had a solid debut at left-back.
71 min Martinelli curves a nice through pass towards Havertz. Stones reads it immaculately and steps across to intercept. The banter days are well and truly over for John Stones; he’s a world-class defender now.
70 min: Chance for City! Foden moves infield to receive a pass from De Bruyne and move it across to Palmer in space on the far side of the area. He drags his studs over the ball and spanks a left-footed shot that hits Timber and flies over the bar. Good defending.
69 min It looks like City have switched to their usual 4-1-2-3, with Palmer on the right and Foden on the left. De Bruyne is the left-sided No8.
68 min White fizzes a low cross towards Saka, who completely mistimes a first-time shot with his right foot. That was a pretty good chance, although it did come to him very quickly.
67 min Rice elicits a roar from the Arsenal fans after an important tackle on the breaking Bernardo Silva.
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66 min Gabriel is booked for stopping Ortega from taking the goalkick.
66 min The second corner goes straight into the side netting.
65 min Rodri’s challenge on Timber gives Arsenal another corner. Martinelli’s inswinger is headed behind for another by Rodri.
64 min: Double substitution for Manchester City Cole Palmer and Kevin De Bruyne replace Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
63 min After a decent move by Arsenal, Rice spanks over from 25 yards.
63 min Odegaard whirls his hand above his head, Stuart Broad-style, in an attempt to conduct the Arsenal fans. I don’t suppose there’s a football equivalent of changing the bails, is there.
61 min Kovacic’s sliderule pass towards Haaland is cut out by Saliba.
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60 min For the first half an hour, Manchester City had around 75 per cent of the possession. Since then it’s been around 60-40 in Arsenal’s favour. Funny old game.
59 min Dias accidentally stands on Saka’s toes in his follow through. There’s no yellow card, and Mikel Arteta visibly strains to keep his own counsel.
58 min: Man City substitution Phil Foden replaces Jack Grealish, who had a quiet game, on the left wing.
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56 min Phil Foden is about to come on.
54 min Odegaard, having received treatment, isn’t allowed back on the field for 30 seconds. That’s another new regulation, designed to stop people going down purely to waste time.
53 min An injury to Odegaard – it doesn’t look serious – allows both managers to get their players in a huddle and give a demonstrative teamtalk.
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52 min Alvarez’s outswinging corner is headed towards goal by Stones, and Ramsdale reacts smartly to push it up in the air. Had it been either side of Ramsdale it would have been a much tougher save.
51 min Walker’s low cross is put behind by the stretching Timber. Corner to City…
50 min Odegaard turns Kovacic majestically on the halfway line. Nothing comes of it, with Dias tackling Havertz, but it was a lovely piece of skill that include both sleight of hip and a stepover.
49 min Now City keep the ball for 60 seconds or so.
47 min Arsenal start the second half as they ended the first, by taking the ball and keeping the ball. I know this is a nothing game, certainly in comparison to the last time they met City, but this has been an increasingly encouraging performance.
47 min “I’m guessing Stuart Attwell hasn’t booked all the professional fouls because he’d run out of paper,” says Andy Flintoff, “and Ryman’s in Harrow isn’t open after 4pm on Sundays.”
And he’d have needed to get the tube from Wembley to Harrow.
46 min No changes on either side. Mateo Kovacic has the first kick of the second half.
A reminder that there will be no extra-time today. If it’s level after 98 minutes, the match goes straight to penalties.
“I used to think professional fouls - like pulling back a player (no attempt to play the ball) - were bookable offences, but I’m not so sure anymore,” says Lasse Espe. “Can you clarify?”
With the caveat that I don’t particularly have a clue, I suspect that had it been a Premier League game, both Odegaard (4th minute) and Rodri (17th minute) would have been booked.
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Half-time entertainment
Let’s hear from Freddie Flintoff and Steve Harmison.
We've been looking for a video of this for just over 17 years: Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison at the football World Cup, high on life: https://t.co/J5gucIlntm
— Nessun Dorma Podcast (@nessundormapod) August 3, 2023
Half-time reading
Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Man City
Peep peep! After a slow start, in which Stuart Attwell stole the show by demonstrating the new clampdown on timewasting and dissent, an entertaining game started to break out. Arsenal had less of the ball but both of the clear chances, with Stefan Ortega twice denying Kai Havertz. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
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45+3 min Kovacic sliters menacingly into the area, away from three players, but Saliba steps across and allows the ball to run behind for a goalkick. He’s been excellentl.
45+2 min William Saliba isn’t the only reason Haaland has had such a quiet first half, but he’s one of the main ones. Arsenal will always wonder what might have happened had he been fit during the run-in last season.
45+1 min Three minutes of added time.
45 min A dangerous low cross from Alvarez is very well defended by Saliba, who was stretching towards his own goal with Haaland waiting behind him.
43 min: Lovely effort from Rodri! He’s got a taste for goals, this lad. Rodri spots Ramsdale near the penalty spot and drives a flat chip from just inside the Arsenal half. Ramsdale backpedals desperately and the ball lands on the roof of the net. I think he had it covered.
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40 min: Another chance for Havertz! The first one was a good save, but that looked like a bad miss. Saka wriggled away from Akanji in the area and cut the ball back towards Havertz, eight yards out. He took the shot first time, with his right foot, and crunched it straight at Ortega.
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39 min Arsenal have had more of the ball in the last 8-10 minutes, which is a big change from the first half hour. At the moment they’ve got City penned in.
36 min Saka struggled against Akanji in the title decider at the Etihad, but he is getting a bit more joy today. He moves into the area from the right, hugging the ball on his left foot, but doesn’t get enough whip on a trademark far-post curler.
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35 min Nothing comes of the corner.
34 min This is Arsenal’s best spell of the game. Martinelli teases Walker, then beats him with a sudden change of pace and hits a low cross that is belted behind by Stones.
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33 min Arsenal win their first corner. Saka’s near-post inswinger is headed away by Akanji.
31 min Now Alvarez is booked for tapping the ball away. Like all the other players who have received a yellow card this afternoon, he looks confused and mistreated.
30 min Since you asked, Erling Haaland has barely had a kick. He almost gets one, a block tackle to be precise, when Ramsdale takes his time in the six-yard box getting rid of a backpass. Haaland galumphs towards him but Ramsdale has enough time to clear.
28 min Though they have only had about a quarter of the possession, Arsenal have created the best chance and restricted City to long-range efforts. Using Partey alongside Rice, even with Rice as a nominal No8, gives them much greater solidity.
26 min Havertz is booked for deliberately legging up Stones, with no attempt to play the ball, and the Arsenal fans start booing again. This is getting a bit pathetic.
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25 min: Great chance for Arsenal! White bursts into the area, away from Akanji, and crosses low towards Havertz. His shot on the turn is well saved with his left foot by Ortega, and Martinelli smashes the rebound into the chest of Stones. There were appeals for a penalty but Stones had both hands behind his back.
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24 min More boos when Haaland fouls Partey. As Lee Dixon says on ITV, every foul isn’t a yellow card.
24 min If the referees adhere strictly to these new regulations*, pretty much every Premier League manager will be sent off by the end of August.
* They won’t, but I hope they do.
23 min This is turning into a bratfest, off the field at least. A routine foul by Silva on Timber doesn’t elicit a yellow card, which leads to more booing from the fans and more moaning from Arteta.
22 min Haaland tries to turn Partey on the edge of the area, but Partey reads it well and makes a good tackle.
22 min “Brilliant to be back,” writes Bill Hargreaves. “Do you agree with Gary Lineker’s view that Arsenal will win the league this year?”
Nope. City will win it by at least 10 points, and I haven’t a clue after the order from second to sixth.
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19 min Howard Webb appears on the big screen, and is immediately booed. Football’s back, baby!
18 min Alvarez shins a long-range shot well wide.
17 min Rodri pulls back Havertz, and there are boos when he isn’t booked. Mikel Arteta runs down the touchline waving an imaginary card, so Stuart Attwell gives him one.
That’s another thing the FA want to clamp down on, and quite right too: the brattish, myopic entitlement of 95 per cent of footballers and managers is utterly tedious.
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16 min Blimey, the possession percentages are actually Arsenal 20-80 Man City. Pep’s back, baby!
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15 min Rodri pings a drive from 25 yards that hits the onrushing Rice and spins just wide. Rice appears to be playing as both a No6 (when Arsenal don’t have the ball) and a No8 (when they do). He’s got the lungs for it.
14 min It feels like possession has been about 65/35 in City’s favour, even if most of it has been in front of the Arsenal defence.
12 min City’s formation: it’s very close to 4-4-2, you know. Well, it’s Pep’s take on 4-4-2, which as I type is closer, with Stones stepping forward, is actually 1-5-4. I’m not joking.
He’s been watching Brighton videos, hasn’t he.
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10 min Saka scoots away from Akanji, who makes a good recovery tackle just inside the area. Saka appeals for a penalty and/or a corner; he gets neither. I think Akanji knocked the ball off Saka and behind.
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10 min City have been the better team in the first 10 minutes, though there isn’t a huge amount in it. Listen to me, talking as if this is a game that actually matters.
8 min Partey is booked for kicking the ball away. That’s one of the new regulations this season, although it doesn’t stop half the Arsenal players from moaning at the referee.
7 min Kovacic has already played about 25 passes. He’s a perfect signing for City.
6 min Akanji gets to the byline and lifts a cross towards Alvarez, who is about to head it into the net from six yards when White leaps in front of him to clear. Good defending.
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5 min “Well this is a rum do as I find myself more interested in how Declan gets on in his debut than in the prospects of the depressing flipshow that is his old club,” writes Brian Withington, though he didn’t say ‘flipshow’. “If only supporters could cast off for fresh pastures so easily. There’s a lot to admire about his new club on and off the pitch, but I really draw the line at those supporters who turned on Arsène Wenger. Shame on every one of them, who really don’t deserve Arteta (or ‘our’ Declan, for that matter).”
They’ve probably forgotten.
4 min Akanji asks for a yellow card after being pulled back by Odegaard. It probably would have been a yellow-card offence in a Premier League game.
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3 min Nothing to report so far, though City have had most of the ball.
2 min Tacticswatch: Declan Rice is playing as a left-sided No8 for Arsenal, who are in their usual 4-1-2-3 shape. CIty’s shape looks closer to 4-2-3-1, with Alvarez just behind Haaland. It’s not a million miles from a formation most of us grew up watching. It would be hilarious if, for his next trick, Pep Guardiola resuscitated 4-4-2 at the highest level.
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1 min Peep peep! Gabriel Martinelli gets the 2023 Community Shield under way.
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It’s a lovely day at Wembley, which is a pleasant surprise after the summer we’ve had. Let-the-ball-do-the-work kind of weather.
Here come the players. The curtain is about to raised on the English football season of 2023-24 (even though plenty has been going behind the curtain for the last few days).
“It’s a great opportunity to win a trophy”
And here’s Mikel Arteta’s pre-match interview. It’s important for Arsenal, after losing 7-2 to City in the two league games last season, that they don’t suffer another pasting today.
"We expect great things from him!" 🙌
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
Mikel Arteta talks Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and his side's rivalry with Manchester City!
🎤 @gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/RsZkAbNYda
“We’ll see how we respond to winning the Treble. Right now I don’t know”
Here’s Pep Guardiola’s pre-match interview. He seems in good form. If there is any post-Treble complacency at Manchester City, it won’t come from him.
"It's a lot of money but he's a guarantee for the future!" 💵
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
Pep Guardiola talks Arsenal, motivation after winning the treble and new signing Josko Gvardiol! 🙌
🎤 @markpougatch | @emmahayes1 pic.twitter.com/FF4tvi5BX5
Pep’s not happy
Beware the curse of the pre-season trophy
“Given that both these teams are fond of a bit of gamesmanship game and time management,” says Andy Flintoff, “how many cards do you think will be given out and how much added time will there be?”
Well, Million Pound Motorhomes starts at 8pm on Channel 5, and I’ve set the video as a precaution.
Football’s back. Roy’s back
"Close is not good enough!"
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 6, 2023
"The proof is in the pudding!" 😂
Roy Keane doesn't hold back in his assessment of Arsenal's current position...
🎤 @markpougatch | @emmahayes1 pic.twitter.com/KcHBM8cstl
Nick Ames on Arsenal’s summer business
He’s on the bench today
Read our Premier League fan previews
Rules and regulations
90 minutes*, then penalties. No extra-time.
* Plus loads of added time
Team news: Rice, Havertz, Timber, Kovacic all start
Arsenal’s three summer signings – Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber – all start. Thomas Partey is also in the side, which may mean a slight change of system. There are a few ways Arsenal could line up in midfield and attack.
Mateo Kovacic makes his Manchester City debut, though Josko Gvardiola isn’t in the squad. Julian Alvarez also starts, possibly as the other No8. Bernardo Silva could also play there, in which case Alvarez would start on the right.
Arsenal (possible 4-1-2-3) Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey; Odegaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Substitutes: Turner, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Holding, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Trossard, Nketiah.
Man City (possible 4-1-2-3/3-2-2-3) Ortega Moreno; Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji; Rodri; Alvarez, Kovacic; Bernardo, Haaland, Grealish.
Substitutes: Ederson, Phillips, Laporte, De Bruyne, Gomez, Foden, Palmer, Lewis, McAtee.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Arsenal v Manchester City at Wembley. These bloody Spaniards, eh, coming to our country and brazenly redefining our curtain-raisers. Most of us grew up thinking of the Charity/Community Shield as a glorified friendly, but the culture is different in Spain and both Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola regularly use the T-word – trophy – to describe the Community Shield.
In a sense, this game is a guilt-free indulgence. If you win, it’s a trophy; if you lose, as City have in the last two seasons, it’s a warm-up match. For fans, the most exciting aspect is the sight of their spangly new toys. Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber are all in the Arsenal squad; Mateo Kovacic may start for City, though Josko Gvardiola is unlikely to be involved. I’m sure he won’t have to wait too long for his first Manchester City trophy.
Kick off 4pm.
