Manchester City to face Arsenal in the 2026 Community Shield after Chelsea lost the FA Cup final.

Manchester City are set to face Arsenal on 16 August in the Community Shield, opening the 2026/27 season.

The match was confirmed following City’s 1‑0 victory over Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.

Antoine Semenyo’s skilful flick inside the penalty area, built on a pass from Erling Haaland, earned the win for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The victory ended City’s run of consecutive FA Cup final defeats, while Chelsea suffered a fourth straight loss in the competition’s final.

Arsenal and City last met in the Community Shield in 2023, a match that finished 1‑1 after regulation and was decided by penalties in favour of the Gunners.

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The 2026 Community Shield will be staged at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, rather than Wembley, because of scheduled concerts.

Arsenal remain in the race for the Premier League title, and both clubs will resume league play next week.

League leaders Arsenal will host the relegated Burnley on Monday, potentially extending their lead to five points.

City, meanwhile, face a challenging away fixture against Bournemouth, who are in contention for a Champions League spot, at the Vitality Stadium.

James Agberebi

James is a sport content creator and also does analysis on sports. Also, James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men and women national teams. Facebook : James Agberebi