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The new Premier League season is almost here, and this is one hell of an appetizer; better yet, you won't have to pay to watch it. A free Man City vs. Arsenal live stream is just a few clicks away as we can show you how to watch the Charity Shield clash online today. 

Most countries are locking it behind a paywall, like ESPN+ in the US or Dazn in various international markets (links below), but in the UK, you can watch it on ITV or its online version at ITVX. If you're outside the UK right now, don't worry; we can show you how to enjoy the game for free from anywhere, which is especially useful if you're away on holiday. 

Essentially, anyone outside the UK trying to access this free Man City vs. Arsenal live stream will be geo-blocked. However, you can unlock access again by using a VPN (virtual private network) to mimic your device's location to be in the UK. This same method will also work for unlocking free Women's World Cup live streams.

VPNs aren't just for accessing global streaming options, though. They also add a layer of security to your phone, PC, laptop, and more devices by protecting your online privacy. We'd seriously recommend using them on any public WiFi network too. But yes, we mainly use them to save a small fortune on overpriced streaming apps. 

Man City vs. Arsenal live stream quick links:

Don't have a VPN? There's a fantastic offer right now on the best VPN we've tested and have been using for years for streaming and beefing up our online security. You can pick up Express VPN, save 49% on the usual price, and get three months for free. Better yet, if you're not satisfied for any reason, there's a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

How to watch the Charity Shield with a VPN Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.Install it on the device you're using to watch the game.Turn it on and set it to a UK location.Go to: ITVX.Sign in with a UK postcode.Watch the game.Kickoff time: August 6, 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. BST / 5 p.m. CET / August 7, 1 a.m. AEST How to watch Man City vs. Arsenal in the USA

ESPN+ has coverage of the Charity Shield match today, and you can sign up for as little as $9.99 a month. However, from just $13 a month, you can get it bundled with Disney+ and Hulu for one of the most robust streaming deals out there. Check out our Disney Plus bundle guide for a list of offers.

Or, if you have a VPN, you can watch for free if you hop on over to the UK and enjoy their free coverage on ITVX, as described above. This is a great option because the BBC and ITVX will be covering the entire range of matches of the remaining Women's World Cup too, whereas it's a cable situation in the US via Fox/FS1.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

Brendan Griffiths

Senior Commerce Director




Brendan is the Senior Commerce Director at Insider Inc, having joined the company in early 2023. He oversees a wide range of our eCommerce content covering deals, popular sales events, How to Watch guides, and VPN articles. He also utilizes his extensive experience in SEO and Google algorithm updates to help improve content and rankings for a wide range of our shoppable buying guides, reviews, versus content, and more.
He has over 16 years of online journalism experience and a UK University degree in Journalism and Film & Media. Initially working as a freelance gaming journalist and eCommerce editor, he later joined Future Publishing in 2016 as their first-ever Deals Writer at TechRadar. Over the next six years, he became the Deals Editor at TechRadar, then Managing Editor of Hardware & eCommerce at GamesRadar before moving over to Future's mobile tech division to become the eCommerce Content Director for Android Central, iMore, and Windows Central.
Over the years, Brendan has written about a wide range of subjects. Be it covering game previews at GamesCom in Germany, listing the best Amazon Prime Day deals, reviewing gaming controllers, Kindles, and folding smartphones, or even international guides on buying a mattress - he's still quite annoyed that the UK and US have different sizes and names for them.
More recently, he's been covering international How to Watch guides on various sporting events like Formula 1, tennis, Champions League, cricket, or the hottest new movies and TV shows.  
Outside of work, you'll find Brendan trying to make a dent in various watchlists across streaming apps or playing games on his Series X or PS5, usually downloading (hoarding) yet more Game Pass games or grumbling about how open-world games should be scrapped for a solid 10-hour experience like the Uncharted series.

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