A new English Premier League season is on the horizon, but first, it’s time for the annual FA Community Shield match.
The Community Shield is held each year one week before the Premier League kicks off for the season, and features the previous season’s Premier League champions facing off against the team that won the FA Cup.
This year’s Community Shield match will feature Premier League champs Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City.
FA Community shield: what to know
- Who: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
- When: Aug. 16, 10 a.m. ET
- Where: Principality Stadium (Cardiff, Wales)
- Channel: ESPN
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
As Premier League teams, Arsenal and City meet at least twice per season; their most recent meeting in April 2026 ended in a 2-1 Manchester City victory.
Today’s match will be a rematch of the 2023 Community Shield match, which Arsenal won on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Manchester City went on to win the Community Shield one season later in an all-Manchester match.
Where can I watch the Community Shield?
If you’re in the United States, you can watch the FA Community Shield match live on ESPN.
How to stream Community Shield in the US for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the FA Community Shield for free in the USA.
DIRECTV is our favorite service for watching sports live for free. Right now, you can take advantage of a five-day free trial before saving $30 on your first month. We recommend the Choice plan, which includes ESPN as part of its 125+ channels.
If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription and just want to tune into today’s match, you can try a Sling TV Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN.
What is the FA Cup?
The FA Cup is an annual knockout soccer competition that is open to all eligible clubs from the Premier League down to level 9 of the English football league system. It begins with 124 teams and is played over eight rounds, with the field getting smaller in each.
When does the 2026 Premier League season start?
The 2026-27 Premier League begins on Aug. 21, 2026 and is scheduled to end on May 30, 2027.
Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
