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Arsenal vs Manchester City: Trophy Counts, Head-to-Head, and Historical Rivalry

The upcoming 2026/27 season will see Manchester City and Arsenal clash once again, with their total trophy hauls remarkably close. Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for a league title in the 2025/26 season after narrowly missing out several times before, often behind City. While Arsenal are tipped to defend their crown, City, now led by Enzo Maresca following Pep Guardiola's departure, aim to assert their strength at the Community Shield match in Cardiff.

Both clubs have deep histories filled with silverware spanning over a century, beyond just this current period of intense competition.

Major Trophy Tally

In terms of major trophies, Arsenal hold a slight edge with 32 titles compared to City's 31. Although Arsenal has been a staple in English football history longer, City’s earliest major trophy dates back to their 1904 FA Cup win. City's rise to global prominence in the 21st century has closed much of the historical gap between the two.

League Titles

  • Arsenal: 14 league titles (most recently 2025/26), ranking third behind Liverpool and Manchester United (both with 20)
  • Manchester City: 10 league titles (last in 2023/24), eight during the Premier League era
  • City also shares the record for most second division titles (seven), tied with Leicester City, though these are not counted as major honours

Cup Competitions

Their paths crossed in just two major finals so far, including the 2018 League Cup where City triumphed 3-0 over Arsenal. City's nine League Cup wins overshadow Arsenal's two, balancing domestic success.

They share a combined 22 FA Cup trophies, with Arsenal holding 14—the record for the competition—and City eight, including a recent victory over Chelsea in 2026. Curiously, despite the shared dominance, the two have never faced off in an FA Cup final.

Arsenal's commanding 3-0 victory against City in the 2026 Community Shield added to their 18 titles in that competition.

  • Domestic trophies comparison:
  • First Division / Premier League: Man City 10 (2023/24), Arsenal 14 (2025/26)
  • FA Cup: Man City 8 (2025/26), Arsenal 14 (2019/20)
  • League Cup: Man City 9 (2025/26), Arsenal 2 (1992/93)
  • Total major domestic: Man City 27, Arsenal 30
  • FA Community Shield: Man City 7 (2024), Arsenal 18 (2026)
  • Second Division / First Division: Man City 7 (2001/02), Arsenal 0
  • Total other domestic: Man City 14, Arsenal 18

European and Global Achievements

On the continental stage, Manchester City has the upper hand due to their Champions League win in 2023—a feat Arsenal has yet to achieve. Both clubs have each won the now-defunct European Cup Winners' Cup once, City in 1969/70 and Arsenal in 1993/94.

Interestingly, the two have never met in any UEFA competition, which is partly due to regulations preventing teams from the same country from facing off before knockout rounds. This was even stricter until recent changes allowed more open pairings.

  • European and global trophies:
  • UEFA Champions League: Man City 1 (2022/23), Arsenal 0
  • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: Man City 1 (1969/70), Arsenal 1 (1993/94)
  • Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: Man City 0, Arsenal 1 (1969/70)
  • UEFA Super Cup: Man City 1 (2023), Arsenal 0
  • FIFA Club World Cup: Man City 1 (2023), Arsenal 0
  • Total global: Man City 4, Arsenal 2

Head-to-Head Record

Across 217 meetings, Arsenal leads with 101 victories, while City has won 67 times; 49 matches ended in draws. Most clashes occurred in league play, where Arsenal holds the advantage as well.

In FA Cup matches, Arsenal has won 4 of 6 encounters, and in the League Cup the record is nearly even with Arsenal winning 5, City 5, and one draw. Arsenal has also dominated the Community Shield meetings, winning 3 of 4.

  • Competition breakdown:
  • League: Matches 196, Arsenal wins 89, Draws 47, City wins 60
  • FA Cup: Matches 6, Arsenal wins 4, Draws 0, City wins 2
  • EFL Cup: Matches 11, Arsenal wins 5, Draws 1, City wins 5
  • Community Shield: Matches 4, Arsenal wins 3, Draws 1, City wins 0
  • European play: Matches 0, Arsenal wins 0, Draws 0, City wins 0
  • Total: Matches 217, Arsenal wins 101, Draws 49, City wins 67

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