With attention turning to this weekend's FA Community Shield clash, Arsenal have been handed an interesting advantage ahead of Manchester City
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta is looking for a third Community Shield triumph(Image: Getty Images)
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The positive omens will be on Arsenal's side in their Community Shield clash with Manchester City. Mikel Arteta has the opportunity to win the traditional curtain-raiser for the third time as manager.
He will be up against new City manager Enzo Maresca who is desperate to get of to a good start having replaced Pep Guardiola. This year's battle will not be taking place at Wembley Stadium as is normally custom.
Cardiff's Principality Stadium will instead set the scene when the two Premier League rivals clash. The 73,931 capacity stadium has played host to many big domestic matches, including Community Shields, FA Cup finals and League Cup finals - in the majority of those clashes, one omen has persisted.
Arteta's side have been handed the home dressing room for the clash. Typically, this would have next to no impact on the final result.
However, the 'South' changing room, where City will be sanctioned, was an unlucky omen during the 2000s when FA Cup finals and other showpiece clashes took place in the Welsh capital. In the first 11 finals to be held there, the teams who were situated in that changing room all lost.
At one stage, a feng shui expert was even hired to try to redirect any negative or unlucky energy out of the changing room. Maresca's side have the opportunity to prove that it worked when they face Arsenal on Sunday.
A general view of the Principality stadium during the Quilter Nations Series 2025 rugby international match between Wales and New Zealand at Principality Stadium on November 22, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales
The Principality Stadium will play host to Mikel Arteta and co(Image: 2025 CameraSport)
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In addition, there is a physical advantage to being in the home changing room. Wales rugby union manager Steve Tandy outlined his intention to redevelop the changing rooms at the ground to offer 'more scope' to do more sophisticated warm-ups and preparations.
He said: "The changing rooms, I think that's where it isn't about streaks, it's more about the scope to redevelop and change that landscape.
"It's about how we see that working, and there's a great opportunity there for that to be developed, and if you look at the two changing rooms, there's more scope, to do the warm-ups.
Mikel Arteta and Enzo Maresca will lock horns next season as Arsenal take on Man City
Arteta and Maresca will want the Community Shield to boost their title hopes(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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"If there's anything at half-time, we can do with screens and things like that, there's lots of scope to make that into something that I think could be outstanding.
"It wasn't about not winning for a certain amount of time, it's more if we're changing things and how we want to learn. I think if we're learning differently that needs to be matched down the stadium, and wherever we go, so that sort of mindset, that's why a lot of those pieces have been implemented."
This could well help Arteta and his staff in terms of the pre-match preparations for the clash.
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Arteta has two Community Shield triumphs to his name and was always quick to mention those when he trophy record was questioned last season. He will want to find any possible advantage to win a third one.
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