Arsenal vs Manchester City stats will be in focus on Sunday afternoon as the two sides go head-to-head in Cardiff in the Community Shield.
The Gunners booked their place after ending a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.
Meanwhile, Manchester City earned their spot by beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
Read on for 10 Arsenal vs Manchester City stats you might see on Sunday.
Stats you might see in Arsenal vs Man City
- Arsenal can win their 18th Community Shield
- Man City have never beaten Arsenal in the Community Shield
- Arsenal gunning for fourth straight success as Premier League champions
- Erling Haaland has never scored in a final for Man City
- Penalties again?
- Recent history favours FA Cup winners
- Mikel Arteta can extend his 100% Community Shield record
- Enzo Maresca’s first Man City match
- Man City can equal Man United’s bridesmaids record
- Arsenal’s record in Cardiff
Arsenal can win their 18th Community Shield
Only Manchester United (21) have won the Community Shield more times than Arsenal, who are second in the charts with 17 successes from 24 appearances.
A win in Cardiff would move Arsenal onto 18 triumphs. This would put the club three behind United, as they bid to lift the trophy for the sixth time in their last six appearances.
Just playing in the match will see Arsenal draw level with Liverpool on 25 appearances in the Community Shield; United lead the way on 31.
Man City have never beaten Arsenal in the Community Shield
Arsenal and Man City have met three times in the Community Shield. The Gunners boast a 100% record with wins from all three encounters.
The first came in 1934 when they won 4-0. They won 3-0 in 2014, and then 4-1 on penalties in the most recent duel (2023).
The capital club will now be gunning to make it four wins on the spin. As for City, they will hope to halt the streak and claim their first win over the Gunners in this competition.
Arsenal gunning for fourth straight success as Premier League champions
Arsenal have won the three Community Shields they have contested as reigning Premier League champions.
The North London side came into the match as champions in 1998, 2002 and 2004, and won each time.
The most recent dates back 22 years ago when the famous Invincibles beat Man United 3-1 at the Millennium Stadium.
Erling Haaland has never scored in a final for Man City
Erling Haaland has remarkably never scored in a final for Man City.
The Norwegian superstar has enjoyed stunning success since joining the club. However, he’s surprisingly never found the back of the net in any of his 10 finals for the club. This drought includes three Community Shield appearances in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Haaland has, however, scored in four of his last five appearances against Arsenal.
Penalties again?
Six of the last nine Community Shields have been settled by a penalty shootout. This includes the last three in a row in 2023, 2024, and 2025. There have never been four consecutive wins via penalties.
On top of that, Arsenal’s past three Community Shield wins have all come in shootouts (2017, 2020, 2023); beating overcome City in the latter.
It’s worth noting that the game will go straight to penalties if there’s a draw on Sunday. There’s no extra-time.
Recent history favours FA Cup winners
Recent history could give FA Cup winners Man City reason for optimism.
In the last 10 Community Shields contested between the Premier League champions and the FA Cup winners, the cup holders have won eight times. Note that in 2019 and 2023 it was Premier League winners vs runner-up because Man City won the league and cup double on those occasions.
Mikel Arteta can extend his 100% Community Shield record
Mikel Arteta can draw on a 100% winning Community Shield record.
The Spaniard won the trophy twice as an Arsenal player in 2014 and 2015, and has gone on to win it twice as a manager in 2020 and 2023.
Enzo Maresca’s first Man City match
Man City will begin a new managerial era on Sunday when Enzo Maresca takes charge of his first competitive game since replacing Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola famously won 20 trophies during his time in charge, including three Community Shields in 2018, 2019, and 2024. However, the Spaniard did also lose on three occasions.
Maresca will hope to begin his tenure with silverware as he attempts to become the fourth Italian to win the Community Shield after Gianluca Vialli (2000, Chelsea), Carlo Ancelotti (2009, Chelsea), and Roberto Mancini (2012, Man City).
READ – How Enzo Maresca’s Man City approach is shaping up in pre-season
Man City can equal Man United’s bridesmaids record
Manchester United may have won the most Community Shields (21) but they have also finished runners-up the most times (10), a record their neighbours Man City can equal on Sunday should they lose to Arsenal.
Arsenal’s record in Cardiff
Arsenal played 10 times in various cups at the Millennium Stadium between 2001 and 2007. They won six and lost four times, but have been defeated in each of their last two visits in the 2005 Community Shield and 2007 League Cup Final.
In total they have won two and lost two of their four Community Shield matches at the stadium.