Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca did not have the best starts to his new tenue with his team going down 1-0 to Arsenal in just 23 seconds at Cardiff in the 2026 Community Shield final on Sunday. The goal came from defender Riccardo Calafiori who latched on to a through pass by Myles Lewis-Skelly and finished calmly past City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Arsenal have had a hot and cold pre-season with a win over Girona and ten losses to Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund. Their last match ended in a 1-1 draw vs Como, ultimately ending in a shoot-out. City have done better, losing to Inter Milan in a penalty shoot-out but winning vs K-League All-Stars and Atlético Madrid.

FOLLOW LIVE: ARS VS MCI COMMUNITY SHIELD

The Community shield match is Maresca’s first competitive game in charge of City and he has been backed by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to do an “unbelievable job” as Guardiola’s replacement. Arteta even went as far as saying Maresca was “as good as” Guardiola, who won 17 major trophies in his 10 years at City.

ARSENAL STRIKE IN THE FIRST MINUTE OF THE MATCH AGAINST MAN CITY 😱 pic.twitter.com/XnRhfjVdQ8

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“I know him well and he will provide something different to the club,” said Arteta, who himself was an assistant to Guardiola at City.

“What I know is that Enzo has the personality, the character, and especially the knowledge to have an unbelievable job there. That’s why he’s been selected, because they could probably pick anybody and they’ve gone for Enzo for the right reasons.”

Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were named in the bench for the match after returning to training, but Jurrien Timber and William Saliba (back) remain sidelined. Saliba has a long-term injury, Arteta said.

Erling Haaland has also only just returned to training and Maresca played down any injury concerns for the striker at a training session this week.

Arsenal will begin their title defence on August 22 vs Coventry City while City will be in action vs Bournemouth on August 23.