Arsenal could help Pep Guardiola and Man City out in the transfer window

Is this Manchester City squad strong enough to challenge on every front?

That is the question asked each year of the group that Pep Guardiola gets stuck into, and this time on top of the four competitions they always enter there are three additional trophies on offer in the Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup. While the manager has already accepted that the team won't be at their best for the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday, it is silverware the club are more keen to win than usual.

To the frustration of many fans, there is still considerable uncertainty in the squad going into their first match of the season. Two senior players have left and three more could depart (four if you include Joao Cancelo), while lists of midfielders and wingers of interest may end up unused as the recruitment team weigh up what is best.

City have a reputation for sticking to their guns in the market, even if it leaves them questioned. Most of the time, it has brought tremendous success; the failure to sign a reliable left-back during Guardiola's time at the club, for example, has not stopped them racking up trophies.

Also read: Haaland's special glasses that give City stars edge over rivals

The manager is better than almost anyone at knowing if he has enough to work with or not, although sometimes it takes a match to prove it. A summer of pondering over which centre-back to buy was swiftly ended after a humiliating 5-2 defeat to Leicester in 2020 saw Ruben Dias arrive as a club record buy within days, while the performance in a 3-3 draw at Newcastle last season that saw Nathan Ake injured prompted the purchase of Manu Akanji after Guardiola asked for another centre-back.

Arsenal will expect to challenge City for