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.

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has predicted the Premier League top six for the 2026/27 season and made some bold claims about a few clubs, including north London rivals Tottenham.

Indeed, with less than a week to go until the new campaign gets underway, there are already some big narratives for fans to look forward to. Whether Arsenal can turn one league title in 22 years into a succession of trophies under Mikel Arteta’s patient leadership remains to be seen as they look to defend their crown.

But after Chelsea and Tottenham both spent huge amounts of money this summer, they too will be hoping to turn their fortunes around, while Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United will always be in and around the conversation for Champions League places.

Alan Smith Believes Only Two Teams Can Win 2026/27 Premier League Title

REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Following three successive second-place finishes, Arteta finally guided Arsenal to their first league title since 2004 last season.And over the summer, the Gunners have looked to strengthen their squad further as they prepare to begin their title defence, with early signings of Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier having been bolstered by the marquee arrival of Bruno Guimaraes.

Smith has predicted that the Gunners can continue their reign this season, with it once again being a two-horse race between them and Manchester City, who begin work under new manager Enzo Maresca after Pep Guardiola ended a decade of dominance at the Etihad Stadium. “I think Man City are the key challenger [to Arsenal],” he told the Metro.

REUTERS/Toby Melville

Arsenal will head into the 2026/27 season looking to join an exclusive group of clubs to have won back-to-back Premier League titles. Only Manchester United, Chelsea and Man City have previously achieved the feat, underlining just how difficult it is to successfully defend the crown.

Smith’s Predictions For Rest of the Top Six

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In third, and earning a podium finish for a second time in two seasons under Michael Carrick’s leadership, Smith has gone for Manchester United. On the Red Devils, he explained: “I think they’re going to be better off this year.

Unlike Jeff Stelling – who thinks Tottenham can improve their position by a staggering 12 places to qualify for the Champions League – Smith reckons Europa League victors Aston Villa will remain within the top six next term.

The Lilywhites have spent around £350 million on new signings during the off-season, with big-name acquisitions including Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul Van Hecke, Andrew Robertson, and, perhaps most significantly, Sandro Tonali. But that isn’t enough for most to back them for a push for European football under Roberto de Zerbi.