The Premier League is nearly upon us, with the Community Shield match between reigning champions Arsenal and FA Cup victors Manchester City on Sunday marking the countdown to the start of the 2026-27 Premier League season just five days later.
This year’s match will be the 104th Community Shield, a traditional fixture in English football’s calendar that features the league champion and FA Cup holder, dating back to its inception when Manchester United faced off against Queen’s Park Rangers in 1908.
Scheduled to take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, as Wembley is hosting a series of concerts by The Weeknd, the match presents both favorites an early opportunity to gain a psychological edge. However, a victory may not signify much for either manager—Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta or City’s new boss Enzo Maresca—so it’s advisable not to overanalyze the result.
Historically, the Community Shield can mislead regarding a team’s potential performance during the season. Regardless of the outcome, it is best to reserve judgment until the true competition begins in the Premier League, as the English Football Association classifies this match as non-competitive.
To illustrate this point, ESPN has identified six of the most deceptive Community Shield encounters during the Premier League era, showcasing how final scores and overall performances diverged from the season’s reality.
1998: Arsenal 3, Manchester United 0
Entering the 1998-99 season as both Premier League and FA Cup champions, Arsenal faced league runners-up United in this Community Shield match.
United invested heavily over the summer intending to reduce the gap, signing defender Jaap Stam and midfielder Jesper Blomqvist, while also working on securing striker Dwight Yorke. Despite captain Roy Keane making his return after a long injury, Arsenal dominated the match, claiming a convincing 3-0 victory at Wembley.
The Gunners were expected to maintain their dominance and retain their title, but United significantly rebounded and went on to become the first English team to complete a treble, winning the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup.
This encounter was initially framed as a showdown between the summer’s major center forward acquisitions—Darwin Núñez and Erling Haaland.
By game’s end, Núñez was in the spotlight after he earned a penalty and scored for Liverpool during their 3-1 victory at Leicester’s King Power Stadium. Meanwhile, Haaland had a quieter start but went on to impress with 52 goals for Pep Guardiola’s squad, breaking records along the way. In stark contrast, Núñez managed a total of 15 goals.
Further illustrating this match’s misleading nature, City ultimately concluded the season as treble champions while Liverpool struggled to secure a Champions League spot, finishing fifth in the Premier League.
1:39
Are Man City PL title contenders under Maresca?
2011: Man United 3, Man City 2
Following the 2008 takeover spearheaded by Abu Dhabi ownership, City’s ascent began, but United was still the dominant force to beat, and City was desperate to overcome their neighbors.
After jumping to a 2-0 lead, City seemed on the brink of a significant win, yet Sir Alex Ferguson’s United team, known for dramatic comebacks, showcased their resilience. In a remarkably one-sided second half, United reversed the deficit to triumph 3-2, with Nani scoring the decisive goal in added time.
Although United celebrated the Community Shield trophy, City would have the last laugh, clinching their first Premier League title later that season thanks to Sergio Aguero’s decisive goal in stoppage time against QPR.
In the inaugural Premier League season of 1992-93, Leeds, the last holders of the old First Division, exhibited their title ambitions with a convincing victory over Liverpool.
In that fixture, Eric Cantona made history by being the first player to score a hat trick in the Community Shield since 1908 and has yet to be surpassed in that regard. Although Leeds started strong in the sunny Wembley atmosphere, their title defense quickly turned into a disaster, finishing 17th and narrowly avoiding relegation.
Meanwhile, Cantona, who netted another hat trick against Spurs just two weeks later, transferred from Leeds to Manchester United by November 1992, ultimately helping to end a 26-year title drought at Old Trafford.
2013: Man United 2, Wigan Athletic 0
With a beaming David Moyes showcasing the Community Shield trophy after a 2-0 victory over surprise FA Cup winners Wigan, it appeared United had smoothly transitioned from Sir Alex Ferguson to their new manager. The win, featuring two goals from Robin van Persie, marked the pinnacle of Moyes’s tenure.
Unfortunately for Moyes, as Ferguson’s handpicked successor, this victory was as good as it would get. United ended up finishing seventh, their first time outside the top three during the Premier League era, unable to escape the stagnation that followed Ferguson’s retirement.
Handed a six-year contract upon taking over, Moyes was dismissed in April 2014 after just under a year at the helm.
2024: Man City 1, Man United 1 (Man City win 7-6 on penalties)
Following their triumph in the 2023-24 FA Cup, Erik ten Hag’s United faced City again in the Community Shield, drawing 1-1 and indicating a potential resurgence as challengers for the title after years of struggle.
However, both teams faltered in the 2024-25 season, with City finishing outside the top two for the first time since 2017, while United posted their worst performance since the 1973-74 season, landing in 15th under Ruben Amorim, who took over after ten Hag was sacked in November.