The Community Shield is the annual signal to Premier League fans that the season has begun, with the football season now ready to kick off.
In its 101st edition, the Community Shield has long been slated as the precursor to the league's start, and this year is no different, scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 6, with the start of the Premier League schedule set for later that week on Friday.
The competition pits the defending Premier League champions against the FA Cup winners. However, on years where the same team wins both trophies, the Premier League runners-up qualify instead.
This year, that's the case as Manchester City won both the Premier League and FA Cup, and thus league runners-up Arsenal are slated to play against last year's treble winners.
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Man City vs Arsenal match facts
- Date: Sun, August 6
- Kickoff Time: 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. BST / 1 a.m. AEST (Mon, Aug. 7)
- Location: Wembley Stadium (London, England)
- Official: Stuart Attwell
- Last meeting: Man City 4-1 Arsenal (Apr. 22, 2023 | Premier League)
Man City vs Arsenal prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Arsenal (+340)
- Score prediction: Man City 0-2 Arsenal
If there's any knock on Man City over the last few years as they've romped to multiple Premier League titles, it's that they start the season slow — at least by their standards. Man City have played in four of the last five Community Shields, but they only achieved victory in one, losing two and drawing one across the other three.
Last year, they dropped the Community Shield to Liverpool by a 3-1 score, and suffered draws in two of their first six Premier League matches. The year before, City also lost the Community Shield, a 1-0 defeat to Leicester City, and followed that up with a 1-0 defeat to Spurs in their first Premier League match.
This summer in their preseason warmups, Man City narrowly edged Bayern 2-1 on a late goal before falling by the same scoreline to Atletico Madrid. It's hard to bet against such a monster team, but they have their sights set on other competitions, while Arsenal will be gunning for any trophies they can get their hands on.
| Man City win (90 mins) | Draw (90 mins) | Arsenal win (90 mins) | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | Man City lift trophy | Arsenal lift trophy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | -135 | +290 | +340 | -145 / +100 | -145 / +105 | -450 | +290 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -145 | +280 | +274 | -175 / +112 | -167 / +121 | — | — |
| Top betting sites (UK) | 7/2 | 3/1 | 7/10 | 4/7, 5/4 | 8/13, 6/5 | 2/5 | 7/4 |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.75 | 3.95 | 4.60 | 1.68 / 2.12 | 1.68 / 2.18 | 1.40 | 2.75 |
| Dafabet (India) | 1.78 | 4.20 | 4.40 | 1.64 / 2.27 | 1.59 / 2.36 | 1.40 | 2.75 |
Man City vs Arsenal best bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 goals
- Odds: +105 (BetMGM)
These two teams love to pour on the goals, leading the odds to swing in one direction, but the Community Shield often proves to be a cagey affair. Indeed, six of the last eight Community Shield matches have hit the under, including three of the four involving Man City during that span.
Man City put five goals past Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos to open preseason, but their regular forwards all came up empty against Bayern and Atletico Madrid to follow that.
Arsenal's preseason showed their attack may be behind a step, further exacerbated by an injury to Gabriel Jesus. They won the MLS All-Star game 5-0, but that was a showcase exhibition and barely a test for the Gunners. Their 5-3 win over Barcelona provided hope, but otherwise, Arsenal managed a 1-1 draw with Nurnburg, a 2-0 defeat to Man United, and 1-1 draw with Monaco. They have some work to do up front.
Man City vs Arsenal prop bet
- Pick: Under 2.5 total cards
- Odds: +152 (FanDuel)
Given the two teams playing, and their heated battles between one another in the past, it would have been nice to get better odds on under 3.5 cards, but alas, here we are. Sure, Man City and Arsenal have been involved in some venomous affairs over the years, but this match is different.
Four of the last five Community Shield games have all gone under the 2.5 card total, and the one that went over featured just three. What's more, four of those five games featured Man City. Typically, as players get ready for the season, this early match does not produce the same vitriol that league rivalry matches or knockout games provide.
Additionally, referee Stuart Attwell was somewhat lenient last year, as only Michael Oliver and Jarred Gillett handed out fewer bookings per match of officials with at least 15 games officiated. 2.5 bookings between these two teams is a low bar to clear, but in such a match with a slight preseason feel to it, the plus odds make it worth the risk.
Man City vs Arsenal live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | Sportsnet 1 | Sportsnet NOW, Sportsnet World |
| UK | ITV 1/STV | ITVX/STV Player |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| New Zealand | — | — |
| India | SONY TEN 2 | JioTV, SONY LIV |
| Hong Kong | — | M Plus Live |
| Malaysia | — | — |
| Singapore | mio Sports 1 | meWATCH |
UK: This clash will be available via ITV 1 and ITVX with viewers in Scotland able to access it through STV and the STV Player.
USA: The match can be streamed via ESPN+.
Canada: This game is available via televised broadcast and streaming on Sportsnet services.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream this match live and on demand on Paramount+.
