Man City vs Arsenal: Everything you need to know about 2023 Community Shield
It has been chastised as a 'glorified friendly' by some and hailed as 'the first final' of the campaign by others. But everyone can agree that the Community Shield will forever be known as the season's 'curtain-raiser'.
It may be the first fixture on the calendar but the Community Shield does not always set the tone for the season thereafter. Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Manchester City in 2022 serves as a potent warning of misdirection.
Jurgen Klopp's side were razor sharp against a sluggish City. Darwin Nunez came off the bench for a goalscoring cameo, outshining Erling Haaland on an afternoon when the Norwegian striker missed multiple chances.
Here's everything you need to know about the latest edition of a competition that is more likely to be compelling than clairvoyant.
Which teams are playing in the 2023 Community Shield?
Ever since 1974, when the FA secretary Ted Croker (Eric Dier's grandfather, incidentally) forged the established format, the Community Shield has been contested by the previous season's top-flight champions and FA Cup winners.
Manchester City - as few from either side of the city will need to be reminded - claimed both prizes and the Champions League last season. In the event of a domestic double, the serial winners face the league runners-up, which in the case of 2023, was Arsenal.
When is the 2023 Community Shield?
The FA has announced that the 2023 Community Shield will take place on Sunday 6 August 2023. Intriguingly, kick-off is not scheduled until 17:30 (BST), which would make it the latest Community Shield in the 21st century.
Manchester City travel to newly promoted Burnley for the first game of the new Premier League season on Friday 11 August at 20:00 (BST), just five days after opening the English footballing calendar against Arsenal.
The Gunners are pencilled in for the first Saturday lunchtime kick-off of the 2023/24 campaign, hosting Nottingham Forest on 12 August. It was a defeat against Steve Cooper's side in May which confirmed Manchester City as Premier League champions, putting the final nail in the coffin of Arsenal's title tilt.
Where is the 2023 Community Shield?
The 101st Community Shield will return to Wembley Stadium in the 100th year of the famous ground's history. Last year's season opener was held at Leicester City's King Power Stadium as England were scheduled to face Germany in the final of the 2022 Women's European Championships at Wembley the following day.
Manchester City's defeat to Liverpool in 2022 attracted 28,545 spectators. Chiefly by virtue of the venue - the King Power was at 88% capacity - this was the lowest attendance at a Community Shield match since 1973.
As Wembley is open to 90,000 fans and one of the competing clubs is based in London, the 2023 curtain raiser should command a larger audience.
How to watch/live stream the 2023 Community Shield
For those that cannot attend the first fixture of the 2023/24 season, the match will be available for free to UK viewers as ITV have retained the broadcasting rights. The contest will also be streamed on ITVX. STV and STV Player will show the semi-friendly in Scotland.
Plans for the broadcast of the Community Shield in the US have not been finalised but ESPN+ showed last year's encounter between Manchester City and Liverpool.
ESPN is likely to be the conduit for the curtain raiser as the same service holds the rights for its sister competition, the English FA Cup - as actor Blake Lively pointed out when she acquired a subscription ahead of a cup tie for Wrexham, the Welsh club co-owned by her spouse Ryan Reynolds. "I bought ESPN+ today," Lively wrote on social media. "Just to watch my husband experience crippling anxiety live."
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