Manchester City have learnt details of their first game of the 2026/27 season, as a clash against Premier League champions Arsenal await in August
Manchester City are set to face Arsenal in the Community Shield(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester City will face Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16. The game, which has been held at Wembley Stadium in recent years, will be played at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium for the first time since 2006.
Wales’ national stadium has a history of hosting major football events, having hosted FA Cup finals and the Community Shield on six previous occasions between 2001 and 2006 while Wembley was built.
London’s Wembley, meanwhile, were unable to host the Community Shield due to alterations in the football calendar, with the stadium unavailable on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16 due to pre-planned concerts.
The match between FA Cup winners City and Arsenal, who are the Premier League champions, will kick-off at 3pm and be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max, with ticketing details set to be announced in due course.
City didn’t lose any of their three games against Arsenal last season. They drew 1-1 away in the Premier League, before then beating them 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final and earning a 2-1 win in the reverse top-flight fixture.
But City will need it do without Pep Guardiola this time around, after the Spaniard left his post as the club’s head coach last month. Enzo Maresca is the outright favourite and expected to replace Guardiola in Manchester.
Should Maresca take the reigns, as anticipated, his first competitive game will be against Arsenal in the Community Shield, as City prepare for the post-Guardiola era.
There will be more to follow. We’ll bring you the very latest updates on this breaking news story.
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