Okay, hands up, who feels like it was only last week that City were lifting the Champions League trophy? I’m sure the season has literally just ended, yet here we stand on the brink of another one.
And, once again, the blues are in action in the traditional season curtain-raiser as we travel to Wembley and a Community Shield match against Arsenal. City beat the Gunners home and away last season with an aggregate scoreline of 7-2. I’m sure blues fans would settle for that on Sunday! However, the Community Shield is one that City have won just twice in recent years and lost last season’s match to Liverpool.
The return of football also sees a return of our Gut Feelings, when we ask our team for their thoughts and predictions for upcoming matches. This year, we’re going to have a little healthy competition and find out who is the best at predicting results through the season, starting with next weekend’s match against Burnley. Therefore, the Arsenal result definitely doesn’t count! Think of it as pre-season training.
Anyway, here’s how our team think
Craig Hanson – Sporticos
Should be a very interesting watch. Some high-profile signings have been made by both sides. It’s the two best teams in the league, with new reinforcements. We can expect plenty of action. However, these things are incredibly hard to predict. Who knows what kind of rotations we could see in terms of starting lineup and subs. Nonetheless, I’m going to try. I think come the final whistle the two teams will be inseparable, leading to ET and pens, with Arsenal coming out on top. Arteta’s men are good at winning these kind of trophies 😉
City 2-2 Arsenal (Arsenal to win on pens)
Saul Garcia
City will win on Sunday 2-1. Pretty simple, Pep owns Mikel and in these matches, nothing suggests to me it’ll change now. Haaland brace and let’s start the sextuple with a fourth trophy.
Thomas Duck
Here we are again! The start of another new season and City are off to Wembley for the FA Community Shield. Pep has already put out the reasons why the Blues won’t win. The squad has not had enough time to recover from their treble-winning exploits, they are not fit enough, and they haven’t had enough time to prepare. And even with all that from the manager, I still back Guardiola’s charges for another trophy lift. Arsenal will come out flying much like Liverpool did last season, but Mikel Arteta has fitness concerns of his own at Arsenal. In the end, I’ll take an Erling Haaland brace and a 4-2 City win.
Manchester City 4-2 Arsenal FC
Pete
Another start to the season begins with another trip to Wembley, this time against Arsenal. City are going for seven pieces of silverware this season and the Community Shield is the first. Like last season, many will view this match as an indication of where the title will go which, like last season, is a pretty stupid comparison. It’ll be an interesting match that could go either way and I think the blues will take it – just.
Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal (City to win 4-3 on penalties).
