- Man City have secured another major season-opening fixture
- Arsenal are now involved in the picture
- A venue change has added another twist to the occasion
Manchester City’s FA Cup triumph has already shaped next season’s calendar, with another high-profile meeting now waiting before the 2026/27 campaign begins.
Pep Guardiola’s side still have the Premier League title race to finish. Likewise, their final two league games come after a demanding Wembley weekend.
However, the 2026/27 Premier League campaign is already scheduled to begin on the weekend of August 22.
Regardless, City will have already started the season a few days before the 22nd, as they’ll play in the FA Community Shield on the 16th.
Man City set for Arsenal Community Shield clash in Cardiff
The traditional English opener is usually set for Wembley. However, for the upcoming season, things seem to be different.
According to The Sun, Arsenal and Man City are set to meet in the 2026 Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The Principality Stadium hasn’t hosted the fixture since 2006. Likewise, the Welsh venue was used during Wembley’s redevelopment two decades ago.
With Wembley booked for The Weeknd’s concerts, Cardiff will stage the traditional curtain-raiser to the new English season.
Cardiff move wasn’t an arbitrary decision
Cardiff has a history with the Community Shield, with the Principality Stadium hosting the match six times between 2001 and 2006.
The 2026 edition will then be a return to an old temporary home, as the Welsh stadium stands as a neutral venue for English clubs.
It is also the fourth biggest stadium in the United Kingdom by capacity. The Welsh venue can host almost 74,000 seated fans.
Arsenal’s route to Community Shield still depends on title race
Arsenal’s place in the Community Shield is now effectively locked in. Only the Citizens or the Gunners can win the Premier League or finish second at this stage of the competition.
Regardless, the route to the fixture still depends on the title winner. The Community Shield is a season opener between the previous campaign’s FA Cup and Premier League winners.
However, if the same club wins both titles, the second-placed Premier League team is given the top-flight spot.
The title winners are yet to be decided, with City on the Gunners’ tail. The Sky Blues are expecting Mikel Arteta’s side to slip, but the Londoners stand firm with their form.
Either way, the final week of the season will settle the picture. Guardiola could take City into the Community Shield as domestic treble winners, or Arsenal could arrive as Premier League champions.
