After dominating the 2022-23 season and winning the treble, Manchester City will be hunting for more silverware on Sunday in a Community Shield clash against Arsenal.
Five of the most recent six Community Shield games have ended with under 2.5 goals and bookmaker 10bet has the odds at 2.25 for another such affair.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: August 4th, 9:30 A.M. (EST)
City plays in the traditional Premier League curtain-raiser for a third consecutive year but hasn’t done well in the previous matches. Last year, Pep Guardiola was forced to witness a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool and Leicester City shocked the Citizens in 2021. Guardiola has won 14 different trophies with City but his success with the club includes only two Community Shield triumphs.
The treble-winning side has gone through a couple of major changes over the summer, with Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gündogan leaving the club, but Guardiola still has a world-class squad at his disposal and City looks set to be the pace-setter once again in the Premier League.
The Community Shield is mostly seen as a glorified friendly and might not move the needle for some who take part in the contest but Erling Haaland could have something to prove Sunday. He had a miserable debut for City in last year’s Community Shield before exploding for 52 goals across all competitions. The Norwegian superstar netted in both league meetings with Arsenal and added two assists.
The Gunners are back in the Community Shield for the first time since beating Liverpool on penalties in 2020. It’s been a real roller coaster ride for the team since then, but Arsenal proved last season that the club is on the right track again and looks to be on the cusp of achieving something special.
Mikel Arteta has managed to put together a hard-working team that also plays attractive football. The side bottled the Premier League title and got crushed in both head-to-head meetings with City, but Arsenal is well-built to eventually pip Guardiola’s men as the top team in England.
Following a pair of massive signings in Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, Arsenal will be desperate to start the season on the right foot and prove quickly that last season wasn’t a fluke. The team is looking to defend a great record on Sunday, having won each of its previous four Community Shield appearances. Overall, the Gunners boast 16 Community Shield victories from 23 matches, while City has won only six of its 14 games.
