The Community Shield on Sunday offers the first chance to gauge Arsenal's hunger after their Premier League title win in May, which ended a 22-year wait for their 14th league title. The match will also provide insight into how Manchester City's squad is adapting under new manager Enzo Maresca, who takes over after a decade under Pep Guardiola.
This season begins with significant changes across the Premier League, as nine of the 20 clubs have appointed new managers this summer. For the first time in 40 years, none of the five major managerial figures of the Premier League era—Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp, and Pep Guardiola—will be in charge of a club.
Arsenal's William Saliba picked up a back injury at the World Cup, while Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka showed signs of exhaustion. For City, Rodri's proposed move to Barcelona has not yet materialised, and the team has seen Bernardo Silva join Real Madrid and Tijjani Reijnders move to Al-Qadsiah, indicating a significant midfield overhaul.
Bruno Guimarães, who came off the bench for Arsenal in a friendly against Como, could feature on Sunday, possibly alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield. Christos Tzolis, a 24-year-old Greece international signed from Club Brugge, could also make an appearance for Arsenal, offering a look at how he fits into the left side of their attack.