Erik ten Hag and Pep Guardiola will be aiming to set the tone for the upcoming season as Manchester United faces Manchester City in the Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium this Saturday.
The Community Shield, a traditional opener for the English football season, pits last season’s FA Cup winners (Manchester United) against the reigning Premier League champions (Manchester City).
During the summer transfer window, both clubs have made minimal moves. City’s significant recruitment involved Brazilian winger Savinho from Troyes, while they lost Julián Álvarez to Atlético Madrid, affecting their attacking options. Manchester United has acquired Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna and Leny Yoro from Lille, though Yoro is expected to be out for an extended period due to a foot injury sustained during pre-season.
The first trophy of the new English domestic season will be contested in this Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The match between Manchester United and Manchester City is scheduled for August 10 at Wembley, kicking off at 3 p.m. BST local time in the UK (10 a.m. ET or 7 a.m. PT in the US and Canada, and 12 midnight AEST in Australia).
For viewers unable to watch the Community Shield locally, using a VPN can provide a solution. A VPN helps maintain online privacy, prevents internet service providers from throttling speeds, and allows users to access the match by virtually changing their location. Most VPNs, like ExpressVPN, offer user-friendly services for streaming.
In the US, the Community Shield will be available exclusively on ESPN Plus, starting at 10 a.m. ET.
UK viewers can watch the match live for free on ITV, with coverage beginning at 2:15 p.m. BST ahead of the 3 p.m. kickoff. The game will also be available for free streaming on ITVX, the network’s online platform.
Canadian fans can catch the Community Shield live on Sportsnet, while viewers in Australia can watch it via Optus Sport, which is the exclusive streaming service for every Premier League match this season.
Optus Sport offers subscriptions starting at AU$10 for Optus network customers or AU$25 for standalone plans.