Arsenal vs Manchester City Predictions

• Six of the last nine Community Shields have been decided by penalties.
• Both teams have scored in Arsenal’s last six games.

Cardiff set for 2026/27 curtain raiser

Manchester City begin the Enzo Maresca era in earnest when they face Premier League champions Arsenal at the Principality Stadium on Sunday, with both teams coming into this curtain-raiser after relatively low-key pre-seasons.

The Gunners have only won one of their four pre-season friendlies and Maresca is yet to field some of his stars after an extended period of rest after the World Cup.

Citizens struggle in Community Shield

Last season’s Community Shield, won on penalties by Crystal Palace, ended a run of four successive seasons of Manchester City participation, but the season opener has not always been kind to the Citizens.

They have finished as runners-up in nine of their 16 attempts and have not won the title in normal time since 2018, winning two of their five entries since then on penalties.

Score draw backed at the Principality

That does seem to be the trend in the Community Shield, which has been decided on penalties in six of the last nine seasons. Five of these six ties have ended 1-1 after the regulation 90 minutes, and a similar result could be on the cards in Cardiff.

Including friendlies, both teams have scored in Arsenal’s last six games and two of these have ended 1-1, while there have been goals at both ends in Manchester City’s last five fixtures, two of which have been 1-1 stalemates.