The first competitive match of the Enzo Maresca era at Manchester City will soon be upon us. Yes, we are labeling the FA Community Shield as “a competitive match,” accept it. That said, Erling Haaland, after missing part of the training session yesterday, will probably start this one on the bench. The Norwegian scoring sensation, admired by University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck, didn’t play a minute of preseason, so he’ll have to be eased back into it, ahead of the regular season opener next weekend.
FA Community Shield 2026
Sun. August 16, 3pm UK, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes Streaming: ESPN+
Man City Preview Material: Predicted XI Team News
Arsenal Preview Material: Predicted XI Team News
We see Omar Marmoush slotting in for Haaland here. Elsewhere Savinho and Ryan McAidoo are injury doubts for this one while Rodri, while recovered from back surgery, is just not match fit right now.
Otherwise the starting lineup kind of picks itself.
Manchester City Predicted Starting XI vs Arsenal (Community Shield)
Gigi Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Rayan Ait-Nouri; Mateo Kovacic, Nico Gonzalez; Antoine Semenyo, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku; Omar Marmoush
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.