Community Shield 2023: Arsenal and Manchester City can 'set the tone' for season - Owen Hargreaves exclusive

Owen Hargreaves says “two of our absolute best” can set the tone for the season when Manchester City face Arsenal in the Community Shield, while he was not surprised to see Declan Rice join the Gunners rather than the Treble winners.

English football’s traditional curtain-raising fixture takes place on Sunday when City take on last season’s Premier League runners-up Arsenal at Wembley.

While early season silverware is on offer in London, Hargreaves believes that both sides will place greater importance on what is to come a week later when the league campaign begins.

“In pre-season you never know, because obviously people look at results and performances, but actually teams are really just working on fitness,” Hargreaves told TNT Sports.

“As much as you're trying to get fit for the Community Shield, you're trying to get fit for the start of the Premier League.

“It's important, but it's not as important as first Premier League game.

“But [it’s] two of our absolute best. City - can they go and do it again?

“And Arsenal have had an amazing summer, in terms of bringing in Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber as well, and potentially might do a little bit more business. Kai Havertz I like as well.

“I'm excited for teams to set the tone a little bit. You think back to when City did it last year and [Erling] Haaland didn't play as well as he probably did in the Premier League season, everybody's all critical.

“Let's not put too much into what happens in the first game.”

City fell to a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the fixture last year, but soon put the setback behind them as they enjoyed an extraordinary 2022/23 campaign, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

Arsenal led the league standings for a long time last season to raise hopes of a first title for 19 years, before fading during the run-in.

This summer the Gunners have strengthened, their £105 million capture of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice being the headline move.

England international Rice was wanted by City before making his Emirates switch, but Hargreaves insists he wasn’t surprised by the midfielder’s preferred destination.

“I think sometimes as an athlete, you want to go somewhere where they haven't done it yet,” he said.

“That shows Declan's real competitiveness that he wants to go and do that. I completely understand it.

“I think he probably from a distance, fell in love with Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, what he was building there, with all those young guys.

“I think in a way it was a good fit and I think you should go with your gut, you know, in those decisions, you should go with your gut.

“Let's be honest, City with Rodri in that position, the players that they have, they didn't need him as much.”

City open their Premier League title defence away to Burnley on Friday, August 11, with Arsenal starting at home to Nottingham Forest on August 12, Live on TNT Sports.

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