August 5th 2023.
Arsenal and Manchester City are set to face off in the Community Shield final this Sunday. The Premier League season curtain-raiser is usually contested between the previous campaign's champions and FA Cup winners, however, as Man City won both competitions on the way to a historic treble, Arsenal were handed a place in the match at Wembley courtesy of finishing as runners-up in the Premier League.
The Gunners have been busy in the transfer market this summer, signing Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber to bolster Mikel Arteta's squad at the Emirates Stadium. Man City have also splashed the cash, bringing Croatia internationals Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic to the Etihad.
Paul Merson has revealed his prediction for the game, telling Sportskeeda: 'Arsenal have depth in their squad and have closed the gap in the transfer market. When they played in the group stages in Europe last season, they played their strongest team. They started resting players in the knock-outs and went out straight away against Sporting Lisbon.'
Merson believes the game will be more important for Arsenal than for Man City, and he is backing the Gunners to win 2-1. He added: 'A lot of players were unbelievable for Arsenal last season, and it's a big ask for them to produce the same quality again. This Community Shield match will be a bigger game for Arsenal than it will be for Man City.'
We will have to wait and see if Merson's prediction comes true when Arsenal and Manchester City face off this Sunday. Will the Gunners be able to come out on top against the reigning champions? Tune in to the Community Shield final to find out!
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