City face Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, and one popular prediction doing the rounds gives an early look at how Enzo Maresca’s side could shape up at the Principality Stadium.
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Gianluigi Donnarumma |
| Right-back | Matheus Nunes |
| Centre-back | Ruben Dias |
| Centre-back | Josko Gvardiol |
| Left-back | Rayan Ait-Nouri |
| Central midfield | Mateo Kovacic |
| Central midfield | Elliot Anderson |
| Right wing | Antoine Semenyo |
| Attacking midfield | Phil Foden |
| Left wing | Jeremy Doku |
| Striker | Erling Haaland |
The suggested XI has Donnarumma in goal behind a back four of Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol and Ait-Nouri. Mateo Kovacic and Elliot Anderson are paired in central midfield, with Anderson in line for his first City appearance after his club-record move from Nottingham Forest. Ahead of them, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Antoine Semenyo make up the front three, with Erling Haaland leading the line.
It’s a lineup that lines up with what’s already known about Maresca’s squad situation. Dias and Haaland have already been confirmed as two of City’s captains for the season, so both starting is obvious.
Kovacic was a fitness doubt earlier in pre-season but has since returned to training, and his pairing with Anderson would hand City’s new midfielder an instant chance to make an impression.
Foden, now City’s longest-serving first-team player, and Doku both look set to keep their places out wide, with Rodri’s continued absence from the picture reflecting his uncertain future amid interest from Barcelona.
Worth noting: this is a fan-predicted lineup rather than confirmed team news, and Maresca could easily freshen things up given it’s the club’s first competitive fixture of his tenure. But as a guide to his likely first-choice XI once the season gets going, it’s a reasonable-looking shout.
