Premier League: The community shield curse before Arsenal – Manchester City

16.08.26 10:00 Community Shield England

Arsenal

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Manchester City

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Reigning English champions Arsenal take on FA Cup holders Manchester City this Sunday, August 16, 2026, at 2pm GMT in the Community Shield final.

This trophy is the perfect way to kick off the new season, but it has often brought bad luck to the winners—statistics back that up.

According to stats experts Opta, only 8 out of 34 Community Shield winners in the Premier League era went on to win the league title that same season. That’s just a 23.5% success rate.

On the other hand, 10 teams lost the Community Shield and then went on to lift the Premier League trophy (29.4%). More often than not, the eventual champions weren’t even involved in the Community Shield showdown.

Here are the 8 Community Shield winners who managed to clinch the Premier League in the same season:

1. 1993-94 — Manchester United

2. 1996-97 — Manchester United

3. 2005-06 — Chelsea

4. 2007-08 — Manchester United

5. 2008-09 — Manchester United

6. 2009-10 — Chelsea

7. 2010-11 — Manchester United

8. 2018-19 — Manchester City

Arsenal looking for confirmation, Manchester City enters a new era

Mikel Arteta’s men broke their long-standing hoodoo by finally lifting the Premier League trophy after years of waiting. Runners-up in the Champions League, they’re eager to confirm their status this season and are desperate to add the Champions League to their trophy cabinet. Securing an early piece of silverware would be the perfect way to start the campaign on the right foot.

On the other side, Manchester City are counting on Enzo Maresca to open a new chapter following the departure of legendary manager Pep Guardiola, under whom the club enjoyed a decade of unprecedented success. The transition won’t be easy, but the Citizens are hoping this is the beginning of another glorious era in their history.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

Related teams and leagues

Arsenal

Manchester City

Community Shield England