Community Shield offers insight into Arsenal's desire and Manchester City's new era
Manchester City are at the other end of the scale, after two seasons that were disappointing by their extremely elevated recent standards, and with a new manager after a decade under Pep Guardiola. Enzo Maresca may look like his predecessor and his football may look like a version of his predecessor's – notably from that period when he was his assistant manager – but he arrives at City surrounded by questions. He led Leicester to promotion and won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea, but fans of those clubs seemed unconvinced by the style of play.
The Community Shield is a first opportunity to make some kind of assessment of whether Arsenal's hunger is as sharp as it was last season, and of how City's squad are adapting to their new manager. It is, though, a largely ceremonial occasion, any lessons drawn to be taken with extreme caution. Not since 2018 have the winners of the Community Shield gone on to win the Premier League; in that sense, it's a sort of anti-bellwether.
This year is unlikely to bring a repeat of 1974, when the scrap between Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner exposed both the Liverpool forward's unease at the retirement of Bill Shankly and, more consequentially, the general loss of morale at Leeds after Brian Clough had succeeded Don Revie. Often the significance of the Community Shield is properly recognised only in retrospect. José Mourinho was clearly in a strange mood when he turned up for the 2015-16 game unshaven and in tracksuit bottoms and a baggy T-shirt before suffering his first ever defeat to Arsène Wenger.
Last season, as Crystal Palace beat Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw, there were abundant indications of what was to come, especially about Arne Slot's side. Mohamed Salah seemed disconnected from the rest of the forward line.
Manchester City are currently 7 points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race, with 77 goals scored and 35 conceded this season. Their recent form has been inconsistent, with a loss in their last two games. The team's next fixture is against Ipswich at home on October 17.
The Community Shield is a chance for Manchester City to assess their new manager's impact and to see how the team adapts to the changes. It is a largely ceremonial occasion, but it can give some insight into the season ahead.
What happened?
Manchester City are facing a new era under Enzo Maresca, who has taken over from Pep Guardiola. The team has been disappointing in the last two seasons, and there are questions about Maresca's ability to lead the team to success.
Why it matters for Manchester City
The Community Shield is a chance for Manchester City to assess their new manager's impact and to see how the team adapts to the changes. It is a largely ceremonial occasion, but it can give some insight into the season ahead.
What comes next?
Manchester City's next fixture is against Ipswich at home on October 17. The team will be looking to bounce back from their recent losses and to get their season back on track.
