The 2026-27 season kicks off with Premier League champions Arsenal taking on FA Cup winners Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on Sunday in Cardiff.
The two rivals will be keen on claiming the first piece of silverware of the season, although victory in this competition doesn't necessarily result in success in the league. Arsenal have won the competition 17 times, second only to Manchester United (21), while Man City have been runners up nine times, although they did win in their previous appearance.
Both Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca will be keen on integrating their new recruits, with both Arsenal and City active in the transfer market. This contest has seen sparks fly in recent times, so its status as a friendly may be a bit of a misnomer.
Here's everything you need to know about the match.
How to watch:
The match will be available to watch on TNT Sports 1 / HBO Max in the U.K., ESPN in the U.S.A., Sony LIV in India, and Stan Sport in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates here.
Key Details:
Date, kick-off time:
U.S. ET: Sunday, August 16, 10 a.m.
UK BST: Sunday, August 16, 3 p.m.
India IST: Sunday, August 16, 7:30 p.m.
Australia AEST: Monday, August 17, 12:00 a.m.
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.
Injury and Team News
Arsenal
Jurriën Timber, D: ankle, OUT
William Saliba, D: back, OUT
Manchester City
Savinho, F: illness, DOUBT
Jack Grealish, M: foot, DOUBT
Rodri, M: back, OUT
Talking Points
Arsenal's stumbles in the transfer market might reflect on the pitch
With their high-profile pursuit of Vinicius Jr. not coming to fruition, Arsenal are entering the 2026-27 campaign having not solved their problematic left-wing position. The club have let arguably their best left-sided winger, Leandro Trossard, leave, and have replaced him with the untested but promising Christos Tzolis.
Injuries in defence, in particular to William Saliba, threaten to derail a title challenge even before it has begun, as Arsenal remain active in the transfer market. Arteta has watched his defence leak goals in preseason, and will be keen on correcting those issues sooner rather than later.
Key lynchpins of Mikel Arteta's squad, like Declan Rice, are coming off a long title-winning season followed by a gruelling World Cup campaign. The potential for fatigue is real. While bringing in Bruno Guimarães will undoubtedly strengthen Arsenal's midfield, it is an area of the pitch that they were already well stocked in, and could even potentially unsettle academy products like Myles Lewis-Skelly.
A victory over title rivals City though, in addition to being a trophy, would go some way in placating concerns among the fanbase as Arsenal aim to repeat their heroics from last season.
Silverware could go a long way in bedding in Maresca
Succeeding Pep Guardiola might be the hardest job in football, but as one of his former assistants, Enzo Maresca is perhaps the most best-placed to do so. Doubts remain over his abilities, despite a trophy-laden spell at Chelsea -- and getting one over on Arsenal in the Community Shield would be an ideal beginning.
City have had a bit of a truncated preseason, with only three games (1-1 vs Internazionale, 3-1 vs K-League All Stars and 3-1 vs Atletico Madrid) coming into this game. Maresca noted the squad was '80% changed' compared to his time here, with the club losing stalwarts Bernardo Silva, John Stones as well as departing with the likes of James Trafford, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Aké.
Rodri is also potentially on his way out, with Barcelona circling -- but the club are relatively insulated to his departure with the arrival of Elliot Anderson.
The impact of all this flux might be felt on the pitch in Cardiff, and while a loss to Arsenal would not necessarily reflect in how the season pans out, it might only serve to add to the doubts for Maresca.
The Italian has been keen to talk about the club's need for trophies, but arguably, he could really do with winning one to kick off his era at City.