Does the Community Shield preview Premier League? History provides the answer - ESPN

The Premier League is (almost) back, with Sunday's Community Shield clash between champions Arsenal and FA Cup winners Manchester City signaling the final countdown to the start of the 2026-27 Premier League season five days later.

It will be the 104th Community Shield — England's traditional season curtain-raiser between the top-flight champions and FA Cup winners, dating back to the first clash between Manchester United and Queen's Park Rangers in 1908.

This season's game, which will be staged at Cardiff's Principality Stadium since Wembley is booked to host a series of concerts by The Weeknd, will see the two title favorites go head-to-head in an early chance to secure a psychological advantage over their rival. But even though a win would be regarded as a significant victory for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta or City's new manager Enzo Maresca, don't be fooled into reading too much into the outcome of the game.

History has shown Community Shields can offer a misleading glimpse into what lies ahead. Win or lose, it's best to wait for the real action to start in the Premier League before getting too carried away with success or failure in what is still classed as a non-competitive fixture by the English Football Association.

To illustrate, ESPN has picked out six of the most misleading Premier League-era Community Shield games when it comes to how well the final score — and the game itself — matched up with how the season progressed.

Arsene Wenger's team went into the 1998-99 season as Premier League champions and FA Cup winners, with United providing the opposition as league runners-up.

United had spent big in the summer to close the gap, with Sir Alex Ferguson signing defender Jaap Stam and midfielder Jesper Blomqvist and