Watch Community Shield 2026 live streams
English football's top two teams resume their rivalry as Arsenal face Man City in the Community Shield 2026, the traditional curtain-raiser to the domestic season.
The annual fixture, which this year takes place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, features the previous season's Premier League champions face the reigning FA Cup holders. For the first time in 22 years, Arsenal are on the left side of that equation after ending their long wait for a top-flight title, while City had to settle for two domestic trophies, having also beaten the Gunners in the Carabao Cup final.
Arguably the most intriguing storyline comes in midfield, where both teams have made expensive summer additions. Last weekend, Arsenal announced the signing of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes for £75m, although that price seems like a bargain compared to the £116m City paid Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson. Both players could make their competitive debuts here.
Otherwise, the most notable new face is in the dugout, where Enzo Maresca has the unenviable task of following Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium. The Italian knows City well, having coached at the club before departing for successful spells at Leicester and Chelsea, but this is a very different test.
In some ways, the pressure is off Gunners boss Mikel Arteta after he finally lifted the title following three successive second-place finishes, but the Spaniard will be keen to keep the hammer down this season, starting with this clash against City.
Follow our guide below for where to watch Community Shield 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
Community Shield 2026 |
3pm BST / 10am ET – Sun, 16 Aug |
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WATCH ANYWHERE |
How can I watch Community Shield 2026 for free?
Fans of English football in Italy and Poland are in luck as the Community Shield is being shown for FREE in those countries, on Nove TV and TVP Sport, respectively.
The situation is a little trickier if you want English-language commentary, however, there is a way viewers in the US can watch Arsenal vs Man City at no cost.
ESPN Select is showing the game in the States and this is carried by YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu+Live TV and Fubo, which all offer free trials.
If you're not in your home country, you can simply use a VPN to access your regular stream. More details below...
Watch Community Shield 2026 live streams from anywhere
You won't be able to watch your regular Community Shield 2026 live streams while travelling abroad. The platform will detect that you're in a foreign country and block you.
You can use a VPN (virtual private network) to get around this, though. It's a straightforward piece of software that sets your device to appear as if it's in a different country, allowing you to stream Arsenal vs Man City from anywhere in the world.
We rate Proton VPN as one of the best VPN for streaming sports. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.
How to watch Community Shield 2026 in the US
ESPN is showing Community Shield 2026 in the US, with the game live on ESPN Select and Spanish-language coverage on ESPN Deportes.
ESPN Select costs $12.99 a month or £129.99 a year, while ESPN Unlimited rises to $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year.
As mentioned above, fans in the US can access ESPN on OTT streaming platforms including YouTube TV (up to 21-day free trial), DirecTV Stream (5-day free trial), Hulu+Live TV (3-day free trial) and Fubo, all of which offer free trials.
To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.
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How to watch Community Shield 2026 in the UK
Community Shield 2026 is being shown on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, with live streaming available via HBO Max.
To access Arsenal vs Man City coverage, you'll need the TNT Sports subscription, which starts at £25.99 per month. It will enable you to watch the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, plus at least 52 Premier League matches this season.
Outside the UK for the Community Shield? Use Proton VPN to tune in as if you were back at home.
How to watch Community Shield 2026 in Australia
Community Shield 2026 is available to watch on Stan Sport in Australia, which costs AU$20/month on top of a AU$9.99/month Stan base plan.
Stan Sport is the home of the Premier League Down Under, with live coverage of all 380 matches in the 2026/27 season.
If you're currently spending time in Australia, use a good VPN, as detailed above, to tap into your free Arsenal vs Man City coverage.
What is the Arsenal vs Man City head-to-head?
Arsenal have historically had the edge in this rivalry, which dates back to November 1893, but Man City have beaten the Gunners twice in the past five months: 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final in March, before a 2-1 success in the Premier League four weeks later.
However, the Gunners have won all three meetings in the Community Shield, including a penalty shoot-out triumph three years ago and a 3-0 victory in 2014.
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