Arsenal and Manchester City meet in the Community Shield in Cardiff on Sunday, and judging purely by pre-season results, the two sides arrive in contrasting form.
Both Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca have had preparations disrupted by the World Cup, with several players returning late. Arsenal have also been without first-choice goalkeeper David Raya for most of pre-season, with Kepa Arrizabalaga and new summer signing Illan Meslier sharing the workload. Raya only returned for the second half against Como on Wednesday night, adding some context to Arsenal’s defensive struggles.
So what, if anything, can we read into the two teams’ preparations?
Arsenal’s patchy pre-season
Arsenal’s results have certainly been mixed:
August 1: Girona 1-4 ArsenalAugust 5: Arsenal 1-3 Real BetisAugust 9: Arsenal 2-3 Borussia DortmundAugust 12: Arsenal 1-1 Como (Arsenal won 4-3 on penalties)
After the encouraging win over Girona, Arsenal failed to win any of their remaining three games inside 90 minutes.
More concerning has been the defensive side. The absence of William Saliba has again highlighted his importance, with Arsenal conceding three against both Betis and Dortmund before looking more secure against Como, with Academy player Marli Salmon playing well at the back.
However, with Saliba absent and Raya only just returning, Arsenal haven’t had their regular defensive structure available.
Pre-season is about fitness and preparation rather than results, but Gooners can still be forgiven for having some concerns.
City arrive in better form
City’s pre-season has been shorter, with three matches during their Asian tour.
They drew 1-1 with Inter Milan before losing 3-1 on penalties, then recorded successive 3-1 victories over the K League All-Stars and Atletico Madrid.
On paper, Maresca’s side therefore arrive in Cardiff with the better results behind them.
City also beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final in March and defeated Chelsea 1-0 to lift the FA Cup in May, while Arsenal head to Cardiff as reigning Premier League champions.
There should be no shortage of motivation on either side.
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
What form will we actually see on Sunday?
This is where pre-season results become difficult to judge.
Both teams have had late-returning World Cup players to reintegrate, while new signings are still settling in. Bruno Guimaraes, for example, only made his Arsenal debut against Como on Wednesday.
The transfer window also remains open for another 19 days, meaning there could still be further arrivals and departures before either squad is finalised.
Sunday could therefore be as much about building fitness and integrating players as lifting the Community Shield.
But Arsenal against Manchester City rarely feels like a friendly.
How confident should Gooners be?
That is perhaps the biggest question after Arsenal’s pre-season.
There have been positives, but defensively the Gunners have looked vulnerable without Saliba and Raya.
Does that concern disappear once Arteta has his full squad back together, or has pre-season exposed something City can exploit on Sunday?
And after City’s stronger results, will Maresca’s side arrive sharper, or will the disruption caused by the World Cup make those pre-season results largely irrelevant?
We should get a much better indication in Cardiff.
So Gooners, how confident are you heading into the Community Shield? Are Arsenal’s defensive issues a genuine concern, or are you happy to write them off as part of a disrupted pre-season? And how important would it be to start the campaign by beating City?
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