Arsenal take on Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on Sunday as the Premier League winners take on the FA Cup victors. For the first time ever these two teams meet in this competition with their respective crowns from the previous campaign.
While having met in 2023, a game the Gunners would win on penalties after a late Leandro Trossard equaliser following Cole Palmer’s opener, this came with Man City being Premier League champions and FA Cup winners too. The Gunners finished second, but have now overtaken their modern rivals.
The game will pit Enzo Maresca, the successor to Pep Guardiola, against Mikel Arteta. The ground is expected to be filled far more by Arsenal supporters after Man City were unable to fill their allocation.
In latest episode of the Seeing Red podcast, our two reporters Tom Canton and Ryan Taylor gave their thoughts on the clash. Despite being Premier League champions, the Gunners’ chances are seemingly not looking favourably from our hosts’ perspectives.
“I’m looking forward to it actually,” Taylor said. “Obviously you’ll be there, but I’m looking forward to watching from home because although there is this kind of perception that it’s a glorified friendly I’ve been to probably three of the last four, I’d say, and they’re quite tasty and they get the juices flowing.
“And I think both teams will want to win and lay down that marker for the season. I think both teams will feel what is going to be near to their starting XIs for the first game of the season as well.
“So what’s not to like? And I quite like going back to Cardiff as well because it’s a bit of a throwback. We know there were some good games there over the years and it’s just slightly different. It all makes for a good spectacle. What’s your kind of feeling on that game?”
Canton replied: “Yeah, looking forward to it. I’ve added a few new stadiums to the list this year, the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and now what’s called the Principality.
“It’ll always be the Millennium Stadium to me, you know, in Cardiff, I think about 2005 final between Arsenal and Manchester United that ended up going to penalties and was the last major trophy Arsenal won until they won the FA Cup again under Arsene Wenger with that famous Aaron Ramsey goal against Hull City.
“So that’s nine years after that. So they want another one, but yeah, I think Man City will win if I’m being brutally honest.
“I just think that they’ve got more players that are probably sharper and readily available now than, than Arsenal do. They’ve been playing better than Arsenal have in pre-season. And I think we’ll be really motivated under a brand new coach to, to, to win this. It’s not a friendly for either of those two teams.”
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