)
Arsenal kicked off their season in ideal fashion by winning the Community Shield, but this trophy has often been a harbinger of disappointing campaigns. Now, the Premier League champions are aiming to buck that trend. If Arsenal wants to win the Premier League, they will have to break a negative streak associated with the Community Shield, one that dates back to 2018.
Over the past seven seasons, winning the campaign's curtain-raiser has often spelled the end of title hopes for teams. Liverpool, Manchester City, and even the Gunners themselves have lifted the trophy, only to falter in the race for the top spot, with some not even coming close. In some instances, winning the Community Shield and the subsequent Premier League failure wasn't a surprise. Leicester City won it in 2021 after their FA Cup triumph, as did Crystal Palace, but neither team was considered a title contender.
In 2018, City defeated Chelsea 2-0 after becoming the only team to register 100 points in the Premier League. Their victory over the Blues set the stage for a season in which they became the only English team to win the domestic treble. Since then, Guardiola has won the Community Shield twice – in 2019, before finishing second to an unstoppable Liverpool, and again in 2024, when his team only managed third place after a significant mid-season slump.
Arsenal themselves, under Mikel Arteta, won the Community Shield on penalties in 2020 but could only manage an eighth-place finish, losing eight of their first 14 matches and plummeting to 15th by Christmas. Liverpool lifted the trophy in 2022 after winning the FA Cup and League Cup, but Jürgen Klopp's bright start ended with them missing out on the Champions League, as the Reds finished fifth.
Leicester's season after the Community Shield ended with an eighth-place finish, and a year later, they were relegated. Crystal Palace finished 15th, with their success fueling Oliver Glasner's desire for more support, ultimately leading to his departure being announced just months later.
Without City's 2018 victory, the statistics would be even more stark – they remain the only Community Shield winner since 2010 to also win the league title in the same year. This is an astonishingly low success rate of just 6.25%.
Community Shield Winners Since 2019
2019: Manchester City
Final Premier League position: 2nd
2020: Arsenal
Final Premier League position: 8th
2021: Leicester City
Final Premier League position: 8th
2022: Liverpool
Final Premier League position: 5th
2023: Arsenal
Final Premier League position: 2nd
2024: Manchester City
Final Premier League position: 3rd
2025: Crystal Palace
Final Premier League position: 15th
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)