Arsenal and Manchester City will renew their burgeoning rivalry on Sunday(Today), when they meet in the 2026 FA Community Shield the traditional curtain-raiser to the new Premier League season.
The fixture pits the Premier League champions Arsenal against FA Cup winners Manchester City, who earned their place by defeating Chelsea in May.
Sunday’s encounter marks the first meeting between the sides since City’s 2-1 Premier League victory in April. Pep Guardiola’s side also defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the 2026 EFL Cup final, with Nico O’Reilly scoring twice in the second half.
Their most recent Community Shield meeting came in 2023, when Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
While the winner claims the first domestic silverware of the season — a shield featuring engraved plates of past champions — history suggests the match may not predict league success.
Since 1992, only eight clubs have won both the Community Shield and Premier League in the same campaign, with Manchester City the sole club to achieve the feat in the last 16 years (2018/19).
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