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Arsenal make one final appearance before kicking off their Premier League title defense against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.
The defending champions face the side that pushed them to the wire last season at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The Gunners have fallen in their last two encounters with City, yet head into this fixture as favorites on the back of an outstanding 2025–26 campaign.
Mikel Arteta looks to extend his unbeaten record against new City manager Enzo Maresca, having gone undefeated across three previous meetings. However, the Spaniard will be unable to field his strongest lineup against the FA Cup holders, with several key players only recently returning from lengthy World Cup absences.
Here's the starting XI he could select for Arsenal's 25th Community Shield appearance.
Arsenal Predicted XI vs. Man City
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga—David Raya made his return in the recent friendly draw with Como, but Arteta has consistently preferred backup shot-stopper Kepa in domestic cup competitions—even if it proved costly during last season's Carabao Cup final loss to City.
RB: Ben White—With Jurriën Timber still on the sidelines through injury after missing the World Cup and featuring just once since early April, White will be charged with containing some tricky City wide players.
CB: Cristhian Mosquera—William Saliba is set for a prolonged absence, presenting a golden opportunity for Mosquera. The Spaniard still has ground to make up on his French teammate, but showed himself to be a reliable deputy throughout his debut campaign in England.
CB: Gabriel—Arsenal have looked surprisingly vulnerable in preseason, shipping eight goals across four matches in front of their fans. Even Gabriel's return to the side in recent outings hasn't resolved the problem.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—A genuine contest is developing between Calafiori and Piero Hincapié for the left-back berth. The former has held the edge for much of preseason, however.
CM: Martin Ødegaard—Arsenal's captain faced his share of scrutiny last season and will be eager to prove his doubters wrong with a more commanding 2026–27 campaign.
CM: Bruno Guimarães—With Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, and Martín Zubimendi all needing to be gradually reintegrated, new $101 million summer recruit Guimarães could be handed a first start to bring some defensive solidity to the engine room.
CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—His future at the club remains unclear, though Lewis-Skelly got on the scoresheet against Como and delivered a meaningful heart gesture toward the Emirates crowd. Arteta now appears to see him purely as a central midfielder after extended spells at left back in the past.
RW: Max Dowman—With Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka still building back to full sharpness after England's third-place World Cup finish, the consistently impressive Dowman could be handed the right-wing role.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres—The Swedish striker netted 21 goals in his debut Arsenal season, but greater output will be demanded going forward. He's far from a guaranteed starter with Kai Havertz providing stiff competition after finishing last season in superb form.
LW: Christos Tzolis—The early indications have been highly encouraging, with Tzolis contributing three goal involvements during preseason for the Gunners. He's an electric presence, and may already be ahead of Gabriel Martinelli in the pecking order.