Man City sink Atletico ahead of Community Shield showdown against Arsenal
By Luke Oluoch, August 9, 2026English giants Manchester City gained the perfect momentum ahead of their FA Community Shield clash against Arsenal with an emphatic 3–1 victory over Atlético Madrid on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
The friendly showdown at Seoul World Cup Stadium in South Korea saw incoming coach Enzo Maresca looking to turn the tide after a penalty shootout loss to Inter Milan in his debut City match. The start of the match proved challenging for the Cityzens after Diego Simeone’s side grabbed the opening lead.
Jorge Domínguez stunned a star-studded Manchester City team in the stoppage time of the first half, driving his strike past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Semenyo stars for City
Manchester City’s response was superb after the break, with Antoine Semenyo proving pivotal in the comeback.
The Ghanaian international picked up a loose ball on the wing before spinning past his defender to set up Omar Marmoush, who tapped in the equaliser in the 57th minute.
Omar Marmoush made it two goals in as many minutes, finishing another setup from his African counterpart, Antoine Semenyo, to complete his quickfire brace and put Manchester City ahead.
Rayan Aït-Nouri capped off the scoring in the final minutes, finishing emphatically after being put through by youngster Divin Mubama to seal the 3–1 win.
The result marks Manchester City’s first preseason victory after their earlier loss to Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
Community Shield fixture
Manchester City are focused on reaching peak fitness with only a week remaining before their traditional English season curtain-raiser against Arsenal.
The FA Community Shield will kick off at 5:00 pm on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
A week later, Manchester City will launch their domestic league campaign against AFC Bournemouth on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the Etihad Stadium.