Community Shield: Arsenal take shock early lead in Cardiff

CHANCE!

Phil Foden unleashes a curling effort from distance, but David Raya was equal to the task to keep Man City off the board.

On Calafiori's opener - he loves a chance to put a Manchester club to the sword.

Martin Ødegaard's ball to the back post ultimately goes out of play, though a foul was called on Gabriel after he grabbed Abdukodir Khusanov.

City restarts play.

And they've earned a second after Madueke's first attempt came to nothing...

The Gunners have a corner after some good work from Noni Madueke down the right-hand side...

Despite the shock early opener, City have been the dominant side in possession across the opening 10 minutes of play, seeing upwards of 73% of the ball, but have yet to register a chance.

GOAL!!! ARSENAL 1-0 MAN CITY

A dream start for the Gunners!!!

Riccardo Calafiori opens the scoring inside 30 seconds!!!

Arsenal and Manchester City are underway in Cardiff, with Enzo Maresca heading up a City side who press on in the post-Pep Guardiola era.

Mikel Arteta's Premier League champions, no doubt, will want to build on their league success from last season despite questions over their ability to move the talent needle via the summer transfer window.

Will that come back to bite them today?

How are Arsenal and Man City expected to get on in the Premier League season beyond today's meeting? Let Opta guide you.

And as always, if you'd like some pre-match reading, The Athletic has got you covered.

Both managers will be giving full competitive debuts to their key midfield additions, with Bruno Guimarães and Elliot Anderson both included, with Christos Tzolis also given the nod on the left for the Gunners.

In case you missed it, here are the XIs for the afternoon showdown...

Premier League title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City are primed to kick off the English football calendar across 2026/27, when they come to grips in Cardiff for the annual Community Shield curtain raiser.

Stick with us as we bring you all the action as Mikel Arteta's Gunners try to start the season off in style against new City boss Enzo Maresca, who attempts to bank a first piece of silverware in the post-Guardiola era.