Arsenal FC - Manchester City live - Football

Arsenal and Manchester City collide in the 2026 FA Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday, 16 August, kick-off at 15:00 BST. The Premier League champions face the FA Cup winners in the traditional curtain raiser to the English football season - the first time the fixture has been played in Cardiff in over 20 years. In their last five head-to-head meetings, each side has won twice with one draw, setting the stage for another tightly contested battle.

Match Info: Arsenal vs Manchester City

The 2026 FA Community Shield takes place on Sunday, 16 August 2026, at 15:00 BST at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Arsenal, crowned Premier League champions for the 2025/26 season, take on Manchester City, winners of the 2026 Emirates FA Cup, in English football's traditional season-opening showpiece.

Where to Watch Arsenal vs Manchester City?

Viewers in England and Ireland can watch the clash on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, while coverage is also available online through HBO Max. Radio fans in both countries can follow all the action live on BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSport Radio UK. In the United States, the match is available on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN App, ESPN Select, and Fubo TV.

Canadian fans can tune in on Sportsnet World (TV) or Sportsnet+ (online). In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, DAZN holds the rights, while DAZN Italia covers the Italian market. Spanish supporters can watch on Movistar+, Movistar Liga de Campeones, or the Vamos channel. In Norway and Sweden, Viaplay Norway and Viaplay Sweden carry the broadcast.

Across Latin America, Disney+ covers Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, while Mexican fans can choose between HBO Max (online) and TNT Sports (TV). Australian viewers can stream the match on Stan Sport, and Japanese fans have access via U-Next. Much of sub-Saharan Africa can follow the action through DStv Now and related DStv channels.

Match between Arsenal and Manchester City - Preview

The 2026 FA Community Shield brings together the best England had to offer in 2025/26 - Arsenal as league champions and Manchester City as FA Cup winners - for the traditional season opener before the Premier League kicks off the following weekend.

Arsenal's triumph is particularly historic: it is their first top-flight title in 22 years, ending a wait that stretched back to the 2003/04 Invincibles season under Arsène Wenger. Mikel Arteta's side now carry the weight of champions into every fixture. Manchester City, meanwhile, remain a relentless force - the FA Cup adds to a decade of silverware collected under Pep Guardiola, and City will be hungry to prevent Arsenal from opening the new season with a trophy.

The decision to stage the match in Cardiff marks a rare occasion. Principality Stadium hosts the Community Shield for the first time in over two decades after Wembley became unavailable. Both clubs have history in Cardiff - Arsenal played 10 times at Principality Stadium during the era when the ground stood in for Wembley. The pre-match stakes extend beyond a trophy, too: whichever side wins will carry a meaningful psychological edge into the opening weekend of the Premier League.

Head-to-Head: Arsenal vs Manchester City

The rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City ranks among the most compelling in modern English football - six of their last ten meetings have been decided by a single goal or finished level, reflecting just how closely matched these two clubs have been. Across 215 all-time meetings, Arsenal lead the historical count with 100 wins to City's 66, with 49 draws.

Here are the five most recent encounters between the sides:

• 19 April 2026 - Premier League - Manchester City 2:1 Arsenal
• 22 March 2026 - League Cup - Arsenal 0:2 Manchester City
• 21 September 2025 - Premier League - Arsenal 1:1 Manchester City
• 2 February 2025 - Premier League - Arsenal 5:1 Manchester City
• 22 September 2024 - Premier League - Manchester City 2:2 Arsenal

Arsenal - Recent Form

Arsenal enter the Community Shield as Premier League champions - the pinnacle of English football - and Mikel Arteta's squad carries that prestige into Cardiff despite a mixed run of pre-season results.

In their most recent outings, the Gunners suffered back-to-back losses: a 1:3 defeat to Real Betis in a friendly, followed by a 2:3 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup. Before that, however, Arsenal produced a convincing 4:1 victory away at Girona. Competitive form from the end of 2025/26 showed a 1:1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League and a 2:1 win at Crystal Palace in the final Premier League fixture. Across their last five matches in all competitions, Arsenal have recorded 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses.

The summer results against Betis and Dortmund may carry limited weight - pre-season intensity rarely reflects matchday sharpness - but Arsenal will need sharper defensive organisation against City, having conceded in four of their last five matches.

Manchester City - Recent Form

Manchester City arrive in Cardiff in reasonable pre-season shape, having claimed the FA Cup to confirm that Guardiola's side remain capable of winning major trophies even when the league title slips away.

City's summer preparations included a 3:1 win over Atlético Madrid and a 3:1 victory over K-League Stars, with a 1:1 draw against Inter Milan as the only blemish in three friendly outings. Their final competitive matches of 2025/26 were less convincing: a 1:2 defeat at home to Aston Villa and a 1:1 draw away at Bournemouth. Across the last five matches in all competitions, City have won 2, drawn 1, and lost 2. The FA Cup triumph, however, provides a significant boost of confidence heading into the new campaign.

Guardiola will be looking to use this match to find rhythm and momentum for his squad before the Premier League begins, with the added incentive of denying Arsenal an early-season trophy on the very day the Gunners officially begin their title defence.

Facts and Statistics

Arsenal and Manchester City have defined English football's elite for much of the modern era, forming a rivalry that has shaped Premier League title races and cup competitions alike. Their meetings are rarely short of drama, and the 2026 Community Shield adds another chapter to one of football's most compelling domestic rivalries.

• Across 215 all-time meetings, Arsenal have won 100, Manchester City 66, with 49 draws - Arsenal hold the overall historical advantage.
• Arsenal enter this match as Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years, having last won the title in 2003/04 under Arsène Wenger.
• The Principality Stadium in Cardiff hosts the Community Shield for the first time in over 20 years, with Wembley unavailable for the 2026 fixture.
• In the 2023 Community Shield, the two clubs last met in this fixture - Arsenal won 4:1 on penalties after a 1:1 draw at full time.
• Manchester City have won 2 of the last 5 head-to-head meetings, Arsenal 1, and 2 ended level - no meeting has been a comfortable win by either side.