Only 30% of Community Shield Winners Go On to Become Premier League Champions

With Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the latest Community Shield, people in the soccer world are now starting to see the Gunners as a contender to win the Premier League title this season. Claiming the top spot is within their grasp if they keep their players fit. But does winning the Community Shield actually mean anything towards the actual season ahead?

The Community Shield is a match where the winner of the Premier League faces the F.A Cup winner of the previous season. Normally seen as a warm-up to the actual season, the trophy (or Shield) lacks prestige and even though it’s a trophy to add to the cabinet, it’s not exactly a victory to shout from the rooftops.

With Arsenal’s convincing winning against Premier League champions Manchester City, it has some people seeing the result as a sign of things to come. But is that an accurate observation based on the track record of Community Shield victors from the last 20 years?

Let’s take a look.

As can be seen, the signs aren’t that promising for Arsenal. The winner of the Shield then went on to win the league only six times. That represents 30% of the teams winning the Premier League after lofting the Community Shield above their heads.

Interestingly, there have only been three occasions where the winner finished outside the top four showing that if you win the game it usually guarantees a relatively good season.

With it being ten years since Arsenal last won the league, fans can either look positively or negatively at the 30% conversion rate from a Community Shield to a Premier League trophy. Is it in the stars for the Gunners this season?

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