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Manchester City vs Arsenal odds and betting statistics
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Manchester City vs Arsenal match preview
Last season’s top two go head-to-head in England’s traditional curtain raiser, with this the 101st staging of the FA Community Shield.
Manchester City could end 2023 with six major trophies in their cabinet, having already landed the treble.
They’re aiming to complete the sextuple, a feat only previously achieved by Barcelona in 2009 and Bayern in 2020, with the UEFA Super Cup to come next week and the Club World Cup taking place in December.
Back in June, Man City were crowned Champions of Europe for the very first time, with Rodri’s strike from the edge of the box downing Internazionale at Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı in İstanbul.
Guardiola’s team had defeated Manchester United in the FA Cup a week earlier, whilst also pipping Arsenal to the Premier League title, courtesy of 13 consecutive league wins from 25 February to 21 May.
The Citizens have become the fifth club to win three consecutive English titles, after Huddersfield, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United, aiming to become the very first to win four on the bounce.
Arsenal meanwhile are here as league runners-up, following their very unexpected title push, sat top of the pile for 248 days, that’s 84% of the campaign, but just falling short at the last.
Mikel Arteta’s team finished just five points short of Man City meaning, if they’d have won just one of their head-to-head meetings, they would have been champions instead.
Overall, the Gunners have lost 15 of their last 16 meetings with the Citizens, including each of the last seven, and, if they harbour any aspirations of changing that, this streak will have to come to an end.
Although, Arsenal’s only two wins in this fixture since Christmas 2015 have both come at Wembley, in the FA Cup semi-finals of 2017 and 2020, both en route to winning that competition.
The Gunners also have a very good record in Community Shields, capturing this title on 16 occasions, winning each of their last four, including a 3-0 victory over Man City nine years ago, with Arteta captain that afternoon.
So, can Arsenal claim a confidence-boosting victory, or will Manchester City’s monopolisation of major honours continue at Wembley?
Manchester City team news
İlkay Gündoğan and Riyāḍ Maḥrez have both left the club this summer, with Kyle Walker potentially also departing.
Mateo Kovačić is Man City’s only senior summer signing, so far, highly likely to make his debut here, while imminent arrival Joško Gvardiol hasn’t been registered in time.
In goal, Stefan Ortega started all six FA Cup matches last season, including the fourth round win over Arsenal and June’s final, so he could don the gloves here, rotated in for regular number one Ederson.
A player who almost certainly won’t feature is Kevin De Bruyne, given that he’s still nursing the injury he picked up in the Champions League Final.
Erling Braut Håland scored a record-breaking 52 times in all competitions last season, so will he net at Wembley for the first time, with this his third outing at the National Stadium?
Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Ortega; Walker, Stones, Rúben Dias, Aké; Rodri, Kovačić, Silva; Foden, Grealish, Håland.
Arsenal team news
Arsenal are likely to debut all three of their recruits at Wembley, with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz both starting alongside captain Martin Ødegaard in Mikel Arteta’s new-look midfield, which’ll be seriously tested here.
Their other summer edition Jurriën Timber is likely to start at left-back but, having impressed in pre-season, while Oleksandr Zinchenko hasn’t featured since Easter Sunday.
Following Wednesday’s friendly against Monaco, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Gabriel Jesus would be out for ‘a few weeks’ due to a knee issue, which is certainly concerning news.
Eddie Nketiah’s is the most obvious deputy, but Leandro Trossard, who has been razor-sharp in pre-season, may well get the nod in attack.
Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Havertz, Ødegaard; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.
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