Arsenal and Manchester City have dominated English football for much of the last five seasons. This is only the second Community Shield meeting between the two teams in the last five seasons. Arsenal won the Community Shield against Manchester City in 2023, with Cole Palmer scoring a goal for Manchester City and Leandro Trossard equalising for Arsenal in the 2023 match. Arsenal ultimately won the match on penalties.
Arsenal's Community Shield victory marked a significant turning point for the team. They went on to beat Manchester City in the Premier League for the first time since 2015 just two months later. This was followed by a thrashing of Manchester City in the following season, with Arsenal finishing above them for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Last year, they held off Manchester City to claim their 14th league title.