Manchester City will face Arsenal in the 2026 Community Shield after City secured the FA Cup title with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Manchester City booked their place in the traditional season opener following their triumph in the 2025-26 FA Cup final, with Ghanaian winger Antoine Semenyo scoring the decisive goal in the 72nd minute after a clever assist from Erling Haaland.
The victory saw City lift their eighth FA Cup trophy, moving level with Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea on the competition’s all-time winners list, while Arsenal remain the most successful club with 14 titles.
The upcoming Community Shield will take place regardless of whether Arsenal finish the Premier League season as champions or runners-up behind Manchester City.
The last Community Shield meeting between the two sides came in 2023, when Arsenal defeated City on penalties after a dramatic encounter.
This year’s edition is scheduled for August 16, 2026, but the match will not be played at Wembley due to previously arranged concerts. Instead, the fixture will be held at the Millennium Stadium in Wales.
Egypt international Omar Marmoush started for Manchester City in the FA Cup final, making his 60th appearance for the club in all competitions before being replaced at halftime by French midfielder Ryan Cherki.
City dominated possession for much of the game, while Chelsea relied mainly on counterattacks but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities.
Semenyo’s second-half strike ultimately secured another domestic trophy for Pep Guardiola’s side.
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