news-engine

Arsenal take on Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium this afternoon. The Gunners had an average pre-season with a solitary victory in regular time, but manager Mikel Arteta will expect a much better showing against the Cityzens in today’s encounter. The Spaniard could make seven changes from the friendly against Como. Arsenal have gone 21 years without losing a Community Shield game and will aim to preserve that record. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-up: David Raya made his first appearance of pre-season with a 45-minute appearance against Como. With Arsenal set to start their Premier League campaign against Coventry City on Friday night, the Spaniard should start in goal as part of the preparation. Ben White has been Arsenal’s regular right-back in recent weeks, and he is guaranteed to keep his spot with Jurrien Timber out injured. Similarly, Cristhian Mosquera should partner Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of the defence with William Saliba on the sidelines with a back injury. Piero Hincapie was Arteta’s preferred choice at left-back ahead of Riccardo Calafiori during the second half of last season, starting the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals. The Ecuadorian ace should get the nod once again, having impressed during pre-season. Myles Lewis-Skelly responded to recent transfer speculation with the opening goal against Como. The young graduate is widely expected to keep his midfield spot and could have a new partner in the centre of the park. Bruno Guimaraes had a good non-competitive debut against Como, playing for 45 minutes before converting a penalty in the shoot-out. The summer signing looks set for his maiden competitive appearance for the Gunners. Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi only recently returned from their World Cup breaks, and they could feature off the bench if required. Further forward, Max Dowman and Christos Tzolis look to be nailed-on starters on the wings. Tzolis had a good pre-season after arriving from Club Brugge. He scored one goal, provided two assists and won a penalty. Dowman made only two goal contributions in four matches, but the youngster was one of the stand-out performers. The duo should start on the left and right wing respectively. Bukayo Saka has been deemed fit to feature but could be limited to a cameo role on the right wing due to the lack of match sharpness after the World Cup break. Martin Odegaard was mesmerising to watch in his two friendly appearances. The Norwegian star created three chances in 45 minutes against Como, including a big opportunity for Fabio Vieira. The club captain is poised to start as the attacking midfielder. Upfront, Arteta has a tough choice to make between Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, but looking at his decisions last term, the latter could get the nod. Havertz scored against Man City last time and also netted in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. The German may lead the line. How Arsenal could line up vs Man City Stats from Transfermarkt.com