Having been a warrior on the pitch, I've had the honor of playing in several England Community Shield matches and have been lucky enough to win the trophy three times. Winning the Community Shield is always a thrill for me, especially when it's against our arch rivals in the league, and it's like laying a solid foundation for the coming season.
This time, Manchester City will be playing in the Community Shield for the seventh consecutive season. While this matchup won't determine the final destination of the Premier League - like Arsenal's defeat last year - both sides are hungry for a win.
Manchester City is eager to wash away the shame of last season's Wembley final defeat in the Community Shield. Despite the thickness of the bench, most of the core players have only resumed training this week, so I am afraid it will be difficult to see the full strength of the luxury squad today.
However, based on what I've seen in the warm-ups, two players who did not play in Europe this summer have quickly found their form. Enin Zaharanet has shown his hunger for goals by scoring five in four warm-up games. And with him contributing six goals and three assists in his previous six games against Manchester United, I predict he will be in the spotlight this weekend.
Another City player to watch is Kieran Healy. He seems to have returned to his best form over the summer and has been a strong threat in the warm-up games over the last few weeks. I expect him to come back to life in the new season. This will be crucial for Guardiola, especially those players playing in Europe and America who will need to be at their best early in the season.
As for Manchester United, Tannhäuser eventually stayed on despite rumors of a managerial change. The club invested more in the transfer market, bringing in Lenny Jol and Joshua Shukes. There are rumors of more new additions coming soon.
Similar to City, United have a number of players returning to the squad, but the squad is not as thick as their rivals. Players such as Ferran Tice, Ricindo Martinez, Lauki Suhr, Minnay, Alejandro Garnazzo and Dalot were excellent last season, but they only return this week and may not be as fit as they were in the past.
Of the many players I am most excited about is Chaton Sinzu. For the sake of the player and the team, I'd like to see him move on from his past unhappiness with the coaching staff, which he proved to be during his loan spell in the second half of last season. If he can play for United, he may be a key player.
Despite City losing the Community Shield for the third year in a row, I expect them to break the spell this year. They have made significant progress in their pre-season preparations, with more starters and a squad deep enough to cope with players not yet fully recovered.
