Paul Merson claims Arsenal care more about the Community Shield than Man City

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes Mikel Arteta's side will have more motivation for the Community Shield and is backing them to beat Manchester City on Sunday.

Last season's Premier League winners and runners-up will battle it out under the arch on Sunday in what is widely seen as the marker for the start of the campaign to those in the top flight. Pep Guardiola's team have enjoyed a magnificent 2023 so far having secured a famous Treble with victory in the Champions League final.

However, their progression in Europe came at a slight cost as their season ended in mid-June. The Gunners meanwhile have been licking their wounds after missing out on the title despite leading the way for so long.

In his pre-match press conference, Arteta described playing the Blues as extra motivation for his team and Merson believes this mindset will be enough to get them over the line at Wembley. Writing for Sportskeeda, the Sky Sports pundit explained: "Arsenal have depth in their squad and have closed the gap in the transfer market.

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"When they played in the group stages in Europe last season, they played their strongest team. They started resting players in the knock-outs and went out straight away against Sporting Lisbon. They’ve brought in players now to strengthen the team.

"Very few people expected Arsenal to make it to the top four last season, but there are a lot of expectations from the team this season. A lot of players were unbelievable for Arsenal last season, and it’s a big ask for them to produce the same quality again.

"This Community Shield match will be a bigger game for Arsenal than it will be for Man City. I’m going to back Arsenal to win this game."

Mer