Less than a month after winning their record-14th FA Cup final against Chelsea, Arsenal begin their 2020/21 season with a meeting with Premier League champions, Liverpool in the Community Shield.
While Jurgen Klopp's side will be making their second successive appearance in the traditional season curtain raiser, this will be the Gunners first showing since they beat Chelsea on penalties in 2017.
Liverpool will go into the match as favourites not just because of their Premier League triumph last year, but due to the fact they returned for pre-season before Arsenal. They have two pre-season friendlies under their belt whereas Arsenal snuck in their first against MK Dons on Tuesday [August 25].
Mikel Arteta isn't likely to have a squad full of first team regulars at Wembley, so we asked our Arsenal writers to name the starting XIs they would pick if they were in charge. Here they are:
Art de Roche - Arsenal writer
Sticking with his back three in the pre-season friendly against MK Dons, it is likely Mikel Arteta will keep that shape for the Community Shield against Liverpool.
Bernd Leno will start as Emi Martinez has recently returned from holiday as the back three remains the same, with William Saliba on the right, Rob Holding central and Kieran Tierney to the left. Liverpool may be too tough a test to throw David Luiz into.
Hector Bellerin will need to find some rhythm ahead of the new season so he will start as Ainsley Maitland-Niles returns at left wing-back to perform a role similar to that he did in the FA Cup semi-final and finals. Granit Xhaka walks into the midfield but Joe Willock may be best to partner him currently.
There could be an opening for Maitland-Niles to play in midfield alongside Xhaka, however, should Luiz play and Tierney move to wing-back.
After the season's they endured last year, Nicolas Pepe will have further rests before returning to the starting XI. Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah will make the right and centre of the front three with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang captaining the side from the left.
de Roche's Predicted XI: Leno; Saliba, Holding, Tierney; Bellerin, Willock, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles; Saka, Nketiah, Aubameyang
Andy Ha - Live editor and Arsenal fan
Mikel Arteta started a relatively strong team in the recent pre-season friendly against MK Dons, and the Arsenal boss could keep a similar line-up for the Community Shield.
William Saliba received his first start on Tuesday and could keep his place, whilst the likes of Hector Bellerin and David Luiz may be recalled for the Wembley showdown.
In midfield, Arteta could once against field Ainsley Maitland-Niles, despite speculation linking the player to Wolves.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is likely to start again, whilst Alexandre Lacazette could lead the line with Nicolas Pepe played off his usual right flank position.
Ha's Predicted XI: Leno; Saliba, Luiz, Tierney; Bellerin, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Saka; Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang. (3-4-3)
