Kenya Sport

Arsenal vs. Manchester City: Who Has More Trophies? A Complete Comparison

The upcoming 2026/27 season will see Arsenal and Manchester City face off again, with their trophy tallies remarkably close. After finishing second in the Premier League three years running—twice behind City—Mikel Arteta's Arsenal ended a 22-year title drought in the 2025/26 season. Many expect the Gunners to defend their crown, but City, now led by Enzo Maresca after Pep Guardiola’s departure, aim to make a statement at the Community Shield in Cardiff.

The rivalry between these clubs spans over a century, with both boasting significant silverware histories.

Trophy Counts: Arsenal and City Neck and Neck

When counting major trophies, Arsenal leads by a narrow margin of 32 to 31 over Manchester City. Although Arsenal has been a prominent English club for longer, City's early FA Cup win in 1904 marks their oldest major title, while their rise in the 21st century has closed much of the gap.

League Titles Comparison

Arsenal reached 14 league titles with their 2025/26 Premier League triumph, ranking third all-time behind Liverpool and Manchester United, who each have 20. Manchester City stands next with 10 league titles, eight of which came during the Premier League era. City also shares the record for most second division titles (seven) alongside Leicester City, though these are not considered major honours.

Cup Competition Records

The 2026 League Cup final marked only their second major final clash, the first being in 2018 when City beat Arsenal 3-0 with goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, and David Silva. City's nine League Cup victories dwarf Arsenal's two.

The two clubs share 22 FA Cup titles—14 for Arsenal and eight for City—but have never met in the FA Cup final. Arsenal holds the record for the most FA Cup wins ever, while City's latest victory came in 2026 against Chelsea.

In the Community Shield, Arsenal recently secured their 18th title after defeating City 3-0 in 2026.

Domestic Trophy Summary

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

European and Global Achievements

On the European front, City holds the edge with a Champions League win in 2023, a title Arsenal has yet to claim. Both clubs have one European Cup Winners’ Cup each: City in 1969/70 and Arsenal in 1993/94. Arsenal also won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup once in 1969/70, a competition City never won.

City also boasts a UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup title from 2023, achievements Arsenal lacks.

  • 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 Titles: Man City 4, Arsenal 2

Despite both teams frequently playing in Europe, they have never faced each other in any UEFA competition. Rules limiting domestic clubs meeting until knockout stages and the recent introduction of the 'Swiss model' in 2024/25 have influenced this. Given City's relatively recent rise and Arsenal’s lack of European crowns, their lack of head-to-head European matches is not unexpected.

Head-to-Head Record

Across 217 encounters, Arsenal leads with 101 wins, compared to Manchester City's 67 victories and 49 draws. Most meetings took place in league play, where Arsenal has 89 wins to City's 60 in 196 matches.

In cup competitions, Arsenal also holds a slight advantage in the FA Cup with four wins to two losses in six matches, while the League Cup is nearly even with Arsenal winning five, City five, and one draw in 11 games. Arsenal has won three out of four Community Shield encounters.

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

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