The biggest issue for Arsenal is at the back.
Arsenal’s structure is heavily built on control: high positioning, aggressive pressing, clean spacing in possession. Missing senior defenders can disrupt all of that. Even in a one-off game, any lack of familiarity at the back becomes a problem against a side that attacks space as quickly as City.
Manchester City have doubts of their own, and they are not minor ones.
Rodri’s absence changes the balance of any City side. He is the player who slows games down when needed and restores order when matches become stretched. If he is unavailable, City may look less controlled in central areas. Haaland’s situation is different: even if he is involved, his minutes appear likely to be managed, which could blunt City’s cutting edge.
Recent Community Shields have tended to be decided by fine margins. The last three have gone to penalties, and that trend fits the current picture: two top sides, incomplete fitness, and key players either absent or short of full sharpness.
That makes this feel less like an early statement of dominance and more like a test of squad adaptability. The next question is simple: who emerges from Cardiff looking closer to full speed before the new league campaign begins?