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Are Arsenal ready for Community Shield showdown against Manchester City? Arteta answers
10th August, 2026 08:06 AM
Mikel Arteta has expressed confidence that his team will officially start full group training sessions on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, as the Gunners return from pre-season.
The gaffer provided the update on Saturday following Arsenal’s 3–2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup pre-season match at the Emirates.
He confirmed that Bukayo Saka and David Raya returned to the squad a bit earlier than expected, adding that it will be a full house by Monday, August 10, for the start of the primary training program.
Arteta also stated that the coaching staff will be devoted to evaluating each returning player’s fitness levels and overall condition.
“We have very different groups coming back at the same time,” Arteta explained. “Why? Because some of them have done more, some have done less, and others did so much that they almost participated in a World Cup in terms of minutes. So they are all at very different stages. I want to see how well they have looked after themselves—what they said they did versus what they actually did—and how they look. But I am sure there will be all positive surprises,” he said.
Arsenal’s preseason inconsistencies
His remarks came as Arsenal’s pre-season preparations seemed slightly off-track following Sunday’s loss, which left them staring at a second consecutive defeat. The EPL champions had suffered a 3-1 defeat to Real Betis prior to the match against the German opposition.
With only a week remaining before the league curtain-raiser, the FA Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday, August 16, 2026, the Spaniard downplayed concerns over the team’s slow pace, attributing much of it to players regaining match sharpness after the international break and subsequent rest periods.
City wins ahead of Arsenal test
“No, I mean, I think it has to hurt when you lose a football match,” Arteta added. “It has to hurt whether it is a friendly match, a test, or whatever you want to call it. But, yeah, we know where we are. We know that we are still missing a lot of players and that some players haven’t had enough training. But, yeah, sometimes that is a good thing.”
As the Gunners and the gaffer pored over the lingering concerns, their rivals Manchester City gained the perfect momentum ahead of their FA Community Shield clash against Arsenal with an emphatic 3–1 victory over Atlético Madrid on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
Omar Marmoush scored twice for the Cityzens in the comfortable win in Seoul on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
