Arsenal, Man City set for 2026 Community Shield clash Sunday

Arsenal and Manchester City will meet on Sunday, August 16, in the 2026 FA Community Shield as the traditional curtain-raiser to the 2026/27 Premier League season.

According to the Premier League website on Saturday, the fixture will see the reigning Premier League champions Arsenal face Manchester City, who won the FA Cup after defeating Chelsea in May.

The Community Shield, founded in 1908, is contested annually between the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners. When one club wins both competitions, the Premier League runners-up take their place in the fixture.

Crystal Palace are the current holders after defeating Liverpool 3-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw last August.

Sunday’s encounter will be the first meeting between Arsenal and City since their Premier League clash in April, when Pep Guardiola’s side claimed a 2-1 victory.

The two clubs also met in the 2026 EFL Cup final, with City winning 2-0 after Nico O’Reilly scored twice in the second half.

Their most recent Community Shield meeting came in 2023, when Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after normal time.

What is at stake?

The winner will claim the first major piece of domestic silverware of the new season.

Rather than a conventional trophy, the winners receive a shield featuring individually engraved plates bearing the names of previous winners and the years they lifted the trophy.

However, Community Shield success has not necessarily translated into Premier League glory.

The Premier League noted that only once in the last 16 years has a club won both the Community Shield and Premier League title in the same campaign, with Manchester City achieving the feat in 2018/19.

Since the Premier League began in 1992, the double has been achieved only eight times.

Manchester United have done so four times, in 1993/94, 1996/97, 2007/08 and 2010/11, while Chelsea achieved the feat in 2005/06 and 2009/10. Manchester City completed it in 2018/19.

Interestingly, the Premier League website said the Community Shield’s losing side has gone on to win the Premier League more often than the winner since 1992 — 10 times compared with eight.