Why are Arsenal playing in the Community Shield against Man City?

ARSENAL will face Manchester City in the 2023 Community Shield final – but some would say they didn’t earn the right to be there.

The Gunners concluded their pre-season schedule with a thrilling penalty shootout win against Monaco to secure Emirates Cup glory.

But Mikel Arteta will be more determined for his side to lift silverware this Sunday.

However, fans want to know how the Gunners have ended up with the chance of contesting for the Community Shield without winning the Premier League or the FA Cup in the previous campaign.

Why are Arsenal playing in the Community Shield?

Arsenal will participate in the Wembley showpiece having finished second in the Premier League last season.

The rules of the Community Shield state that if a team wins both the Premier League and the FA Cup in the same campaign, then the division runners-up get a shot at the early silverware.

Manchester City pegged back long-term leaders Arsenal to finish top of English top-flight football for the 2022/23 campaign.

And they followed that up with a nailbiting 2-1 FA Cup final win over local rivals Manchester United.

When is the Community Shield?

• The Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City will take place on Sunday, August 6.
• It is scheduled to get underway at 4pm BST.
• Wembley Stadium is the allocated arena for this huge curtain-raiser and it can host approximately 90,000 roaring fans.

What TV channel is the Community Shield on?

• The Community Shield will be broadcast LIVE on ITV 1 in the UK.
• Coverage will begin at 3:15pm BST – 45 minutes before kick-off.
• Mark Pougatch will be joined by Roy Keane and Emma Hayes to present the Community Shield on ITV 1.

How do I live stream the Community Shield for FREE?

• You can live stream the Community Shield for FREE via the ITVX website/app.
• The ITVX app can be downloaded for FREE on to your mobile or tablet.
• Alternatively, you can keep up to date with all the action by following SunSport’s live blog.