The Football Association (FA) Community Shield is set to kick off once again, and this year’s clash will see Arsenal go head-to-head with Manchester City.
The Community Shield is an English football’s annual match held at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup.
In the case where the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup, the league runners-up provide the opposition.
ALSO READ: EPL: Manchester City win title after Arsenal’s defeat at Nottingham Forest
With Manchester City reigning as both the Premier League and FA Cup winners last season, Arsenal, the Premier League runner-up, will be their opponent in the curtain raiser for the 2023/24 season.
Date, time, and venue
The 2023 Community Shield is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium in London, UK on Sunday, August 6, 2023. The game will kick off at 16:00 BST, 11:00 ET, and 08:00 PT.
Road to the Community Shield
Arsenal’s path
Arsenal secured their place in the Community Shield clash with Manchester City by finishing in second place in the Premier League.
Arsenal ended the 22/23 Premier League season five points behind Manchester City, with 84 points to the Citizens’ 89. The Emirates Stadium residents also scored 88 goals against Guardiola’s Etihad Stadium side’s 94.
Manchester City’s path
Manchester City dominated the previous season, clinching both the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
Manchester City won the Premier League by defeating Arsenal 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, and they also won the FA Cup after Manchester United lost 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
ALSO READ: Manchester City beat United to win FA Cup
Ticketing information
Tickets for the FA Community Shield 2023 have already been sold out. The allocation and sale of tickets were managed by each of the participating clubs.
TV channel and live stream
Football fans can catch the action of the 2023 Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City on various channels and platforms. The match will be broadcasted on STV Player, STV Scotland, ITV 1, ITVX (UK), ESPN+ (US), Sportsnet World, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Now Plus, and Sportsnet World Now.
The referee for the match
Stuart Atwell has been appointed as the referee for the Community Shield match.
Team news
Arsenal team news
Gabriel Jesus will miss the Community Shield clash after undergoing knee surgery earlier in the week. Eddie Nketiah is expected to step in as a replacement for the Brazilian, following an impressive performance against AS Monaco. Leandro Trossard is also in contention for a starting spot.
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, is likely to field his strongest starting XI for the match. The midfield selection will be intriguing, with the decision between Kai Havertz and Declan Rice to partner Thomas Partey, who is expected to retain his place at the base. Jurrien Timber is set to start at left-back, as Oleksandr Zinchenko remains unavailable.
Manchester City team news
Manchester City will be without Kevin de Bruyne, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during the Champions League final. Mateo Kovacic is expected to fill in for the Belgian playmaker, while Nathan Ake is also set to start after returning to full fitness.
Predicted lineups
Arsenal lineup:
- Goalkeeper: Ramsdale
- Defenders: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber
- Midfielders: Partey, Havertz, Odegaard
- Forwards: Saka, Nketiah, Trossard
Manchester City lineup:
- Goalkeeper: Ederson
- Defenders: Akanji, Dias, Stones, Ake
- Midfielders: Rodri, Bernardo, Kovacic
- Forwards: Foden, Haaland, Grealis