Arsenal vs. Man City: Is the Community Shield "a major trophy" or a "glorified friendly"?

Sports Mole's Site Coordinator Ben Knapton previews Sunday's Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator: "It depends on whether you win or not"

It depends on whether you win or not. A win makes it a major trophy, one to use against rival fans. A defeat means it is a glorified friendly and nobody thinks about it again. Regardless, it is a trophy and a Super Cup. 

Unlike the Spanish Super Cup, which has evolved into a four-team mini-tournament in Saudi Arabia, the Community Shield retains a more traditional format. 

The Supercoppa Italiana has also adopted a similar format. To reach the Community Shield, a team must have won a trophy, and to win it, they must beat another trophy winner, as Arsenal did in 2023. 

City won the Treble that year, and Arsenal qualified by finishing second in the Premier League, but still had to beat that Treble-winning City side on penalties. 

It still counted as a victory. If Super Cups from other nations count as trophies, this one counts too. 

I will eat my words completely if Arsenal lose, though that is not going to happen. It is not always a precursor for the remainder of the season. City last won it two years ago, but then endured a really poor 2024/25 season. 

Arsenal won it in 2023 and had a really good season afterwards, falling just short in the title race. In 2020, after winning the FA Cup, they beat that brilliant Liverpool side in the Community Shield. 

The following 2020/21 season, however, was catastrophic. It is not a trophy that reliably translates into momentum for the new season. You want to win every game, and if a win comes with trophy pictures and champagne, that is always a bonus regardless of what follows.