Manchester City XI vs Arsenal – Predicted lineup and team news

Manchester City are set to take on Arsenal in the FA Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon. Enzo Maresca, who recently joined the club from Chelsea, will be making his first competitive appearance as manager. Maresca is confident that his squad is fit, except for Ryan McAidoo who had a minor issue in pre-season.

Notably, Rodri, who returned from back surgery following the World Cup, will not feature due to a push for a move to Barcelona. Tijanni Reijnders, who completed a £51m move to Al Qadsiah after just one season at City, is also absent. Erling Haaland, who missed pre-season, is expected to begin on the bench as he did not participate in any pre-season matches.

Omar Marmoush is expected to start in central midfield, benefiting from Haaland's absence. Phil Foden will play as the number ten, with Antoine Semenyo covering the left flank. The back four consists of Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, and Rayan Aït-Nouri, while Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez anchor the midfield. The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 BST on Sunday, 16 August 2026 and will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and NOW.