Arsenal face Manchester City in Community Shield on Sunday

Arsenal, Premier League champions, face Manchester City, winners of the FA Cup, in Sunday's Community Shield, according to BBC Sport. The fixture has prompted debate over how much a Community Shield victory can reveal about a team's prospects for the season ahead.

The Guardian's Jonathan Wilson points out that no Community Shield winner has gone on to claim the league title since 2018, meaning the traditional curtain-raiser offers limited insight into the season ahead. Wilson adds that the match can still offer some clues about a team's form, even though it remains no reliable pointer to how the season will unfold.

Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for a 14th league title in May, having finished second for three consecutive seasons before finally winning the Premier League. Wilson notes that last season's physical exertions were immense, citing Declan Rice's evident exhaustion as a sign of the toll the title-winning campaign took on the squad.

Wilson's analysis also touches on Enzo Maresca's impact at Manchester City, while another report examines how difficult defending the Premier League title will prove for Arsenal this season. That report questions whether Arsenal are strong favourites or face a tougher task, and how well equipped the squad is for the challenge of retaining the title.

This article was published before the match. The Community Shield has since been played, and Arsenal won 3-0: read the report.