For the Premier League and English football, tthe Community Shield has long been the traditional curtain raiser for the new season. This year’s edition sees Manchester City and Arsenal go head-to-head, providing a rematch of last season’s FA Cup final, which the former won.

The fixture pits the winners of the league title against the FA Cup winners in a special one-off game ahead of the start of the league campaign, typically held at Wembley Stadium. Other countries follow a similar format, although some have expanded it. Spain and Italy, for example, have four-team competitions featuring the league and cup runners-up as well.

Ahead of the 2026 clash, which will offer a first litmus test for telling who could be in contention for more major honours later in the campaign, GIVEMESPORT has you covered with all the key changes surrounding the location and the reasons behind them.

Action Images via Reuters / John Sibley

The big change is the location for 2026. Wembley has housed the tie since 2007 but, for this year’s game, the move is due to a simple double booking issue.

With the football calendar undergoing alterations, as usual, the beginning of the season is on the weekend of Saturday, August 22, to ensure ample recovery time after the World Cup.

With Wembley booked up, it leaves the FA requiring another top-tier stadium to house the first competitive game of the season. A neutral venue is required and there are plenty of options that could be selected.

Enter the Prinicipality Stadium in Wales. The 74,000 capacity stadium is historically a neutral stage for two English clubs and previously held the final six between 2001 and 2006 whilst Wembley was under construction and will be a perfect venue for City and Arsenal to lock horns.

Why is the Game Not Being Played at Wembley?

Having confirmed that the national stadium is unavailable on Saturday, August 15 and 16 due to pre-planned concerts, the FA’s hands were tied even before the football schedule was finalised.

Due to timing, it made the clash unavoidable and with the game traditionally played a week before the first weekend of the Premier League season, the necessary reservations had to be made. Canadian singer and songwriter ‘The Weeknd’ is playing a run of dates at Wembley from August 14 through August 19.

The last time the Community Shield was held away from Wembley was in 2022, when it took place at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium. Prior to that, it was held at Villa Park in 2012. Man City featured in both games, beating Chelsea in 2012 before losing to Liverpool in 2022.

The last time the Shield was played at the Principality Stadium was 2006, when Wembley was still being built as Rafael Benitez‘s Liverpool edged out José Mourinho‘s Chelsea. This year marks a 20-year return to the ground, offering fans a welcome change of scenery.

Arsenal Can Begin Title Defence With Confidence Boost vs Man City

While many football fans will disregard the Community Shield as nothing more than a glorified pre-season friendly, Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca will surely feel that it hold some importance in terms of morale boost and final preparations for the Premier League campaign.

Arteta and co, in particular, will be hoping to gain a psychological edge over their opponents, especially as most pundits – including club legend Alan Smith – believe the Cityzens will be the Gunners’ nearest title challengers yet again.

The Spaniard has been known not to leave any stone unturned in the pursuit of silverware, so will likely still field a strong lineup on Sunday afternoon, with a travelling Emirates Stadium faithful taking up most of the Millennium Stadium’s allocation for the occasion.

Saturday night’s UFC 330 card in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sees the return to action of welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev, as he makes the first defence of his 170lb title against Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry.

It’s only one of the biggest title fights of the year and the exact UK start time has now been confirmed.

Widely considered to be the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport today, Makhachev is unbeaten in his last 16 fights. If he is successful in defeating Garry tonight, the 34-year-old will make UFC history by surpassing Anderson Silva for the most consecutive wins in promotional history.

Islam Makhachev Could Become the GOAT at UFC 330

Makhachev will also be looking to enhance his claim to be considered the UFC GOAT. Company CEO Dana White admitted earlier this week that Islam has already exceeded the accomplishments of his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, himself considered a UFC icon.

During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, White reasoned that it is only the one defeat Makhachev has on his record that prevents him from already being the best to ever set foot in the Octagon.

“Me and my friends were just talking about it,” said White. If he doesn’t have that one loss, you could probably consider him the GOAT right now. He’s obviously accomplished more than Khabib because he’s fought longer.”

A strong showing against Garry could help Islam cement GOAT status, but the Irishman will be determined to spring a major upset at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

While he can’t boast anywhere close to the same winning streak as Makhachev, the number two-ranked welterweight in the world is a creditable 10-1 inside the UFC Octagon. His sole loss came at the hands of Shavkat Rakhmonov in December 2024.

In addition to the welterweight title, Garry is also chasing his own piece of history as he seeks to go level with Conor McGregor for the most wins by an Irish fighter in UFC history.

McGregor weighed-in on the UFC 330 main event earlier this week, sending advice to his fellow Irishman on how to score the victory, although it would be a massive surprise if it were to happen. Here’s how to make sure you can catch all the action live.

Exact UK Start Time For Islam Makhachev vs Ian Machado Garry

Screenshot: UFC Instagram

UFC 330 will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. Makhachev and Garry are scheduled to begin their respective walks to the Octagon at 5am UK time, meaning that the fight itself is likely to get underway at 5:10am.

The UFC 330 main card begins at 2am and the headline attraction could be moved forward slightly if the undercard fights end early, namely Mackenzie Dern’s women’s strawweight title defense against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event.

Makhachev has already warned his fans that he is entering the final stages of his career. Speaking at a press conference earlier this week he explained:

“I understand I’m not 28 years old; I’m 34 right now. And I don’t have much time. “Sometimes, it’s not going like you want in the UFC. You want to fight after three or four months, but it’s not according to your wish.”

Whether you are setting an early alarm or staying up through the night, don’t miss the chance to watch one of the greatest fighters in UFC history live while he’s still competing.

The sporting world is in mourning this week following the tragic death of young British cyclist Finlay Tarling. Football legend Andres Iniesta has been among those to pay tribute to the 19-year-old.

The Welsh cyclist was killed after an accident during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal. He was competing for the NSN Development Team when the incident occurred on the 166.8km route from Melgaco to Fafe.

In a statement provided to local media, via BBC Sport, Major Tiago Machado of the National Republican Guard explained that there had been “a collision between the cyclist and a light goods vehicle.” He added that an investigation was under way.

Finlay Tarling Tragically Killed While Racing in Portugal

Confirming the awful news, NSN said: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Finlay Tarling at the Volta a Portugal today. “Fin was a much loved member of our team but most importantly, he was a son, a brother, and a friend to so many. He will be deeply missed.

“Our deepest condolences go out to Fin’s parents Michael and Dawn, his brother Josh, and everyone who was lucky enough to call Fin a friend.”

Tarling was the younger brother of Netcompany-Ineos rider Josh, and had raced for Great Britain on the road and track. He looked set to follow in the footsteps of his older sibling, as a time trial specialist.

Having finished third in the under-23 men’s individual time trial at the British Championships in June, he’d also competed in the Tour of Britain just under 12 months ago. When the fatal accident occurred, Tarling was taking part in Volta a Portugal, which is raced over 10 stages and finishes on 16 August.

The race organisers and the Portuguese Cycling Federation have since expressed their “most heartfelt condolences to the family of Finlay Tarling, to his team-mates, to the NSN Development Team, and to all his friends and loved ones”. They also confirmed that the racing was stopped and the scheduled podium ceremony would not take place as a sign of “respect and mourning”.

Portuguese president Antonio Jose Seguro added that Tarling’s death had “plunged the peloton, the tournament and the host nation into mourning.”

Andres Iniesta’s Connection to Tarling

Adding to the tributes, Iniesta took to social media to share an emotional response. The World Cup-winning Spanish footballer has a direct link to Tarling as he co-owns the new NSN Cycling team, with the 19-year-old a part of their development squad.

Speaking in December 2025 after taking over, Iniesta had explained his excitement for the NSN project. He said, “This new step is meaningful on many levels. It’s not only about sport – it’s about everything that surrounds sport: the values, the excitement, the community. I’m very motivated, very excited, and eager to share this new chapter.”

Sadly, Iniesta has now had to react to the tragic passing of one of the cycling team’s talented youth development squad members. Iniesta wrote:

British Cycling’s performance director Stephen Park also paid tribute: “All of us at British Cycling are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Finlay Tarling at the Volta a Portugal.

“Fin was a talented rider with a fantastic future ahead of him, a loyal teammate and an all-round brilliant young man. Our deepest sympathies are with his parents and brother, Josh at this tragic time.”