Ninety-nine days after their first encounter in the FA Cup final, Manchester United and City squared off once more at Wembley. Pep Guardiola’s team prevailed 7–6 on penalties to win the Community Shield.
The first half was goalless, with both sides displaying the traditional pre-season combination of misplaced passes and some promising build-up.
Both teams displayed the typical pre-season mix of misdirected passes and some encouraging build-up play in the goalless first half.
United took an early lead in the shootout thanks to a mistake by Bernardo Silva, but Jadon Sancho soon tied the score. Before Ederson, of course, scored a wonderful penalty to equalize it 4–4, Casemiro had put United ahead 4–3. The pivotal moment occurred when Manuel Akanji scored the winning kick after Jonny Evans mishandled United’s eighth penalty attempt. It is important for Omen supporters to keep in mind that Manchester City last won the Community Shield in the beginning of the season in which they missed out on winning the Premier League. That was in 2019.
Laurie Whitwell, Carl Anka and Sam Lee break some of the key talking points from the game.
What was behind the Martinez at left-back decision?
Throughout United’s injury crisis, Erik ten Hag has not been reluctant to switch up his backline, and he pulled off another surprise by starting Lisandro Martinez at left-back for the first time.
Despite starting all three of the final preseason friendly, 17-year-old left-back Harry Amass was a strong candidate to start, but Ten Hag chose experience—even in a new position—over talent.
Martinez had some bad moments, most notably when Oscar Bobb cut inside him with ease and missed the goal, and then when he gifted the ball to City by passing it carelessly to Jonny Evans. James McAtee continued running and hit the post with his finale.
But when Martinez moved into central midfield to help with build-up when United had the ball at the back, Ten Hag’s motive for making the choice became evident. Mason Mount moved to the left in order to occupy the space.
(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
When Martinez drove the ball through to Bruno Fernandes for his offside goal in the second half, he had already entered that area.
If Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s transfer to West Ham had not proceeded as planned, Ten Hag might have used the same full-backs as against City in the FA Cup final. However, since Wan-Bissaka’s move draws to an end, he did not travel with the team; instead, Diogo Dalot assumed his usual position at right back. Back in May, he had been on the left at Wembley. Wan-Bissaka’s replacement is set at United after an agreement was reached with Bayern Munich for Noussair Mazraoui, who was selected in part because to his versatility on the left.
He has the attacking instincts of a Ten Hag full-back, so he will give Dalot some competition on the right. Jeremy Doku, who had ignited City as a substitute in the FA Cup final, presented a formidable opponent for Dalot, who at one point was nutmegged by the touchline. Doku leaped to his feet and moved past the byline.
Ten Hag managed to tackle Doku in the box after speaking with Dalot near the dugout. Halfway through the second half, Facundo Pellistri replaced Harry Maguire, and Ten Hag moved Dalot to left back as Martinez settled into his typical center back position. Pellistri finished off an afternoon of unconventional choices by moving to right-back, which was about as far from a like-for-like replacement as it gets.
Ultimately, the full-back rotations were costly to United. Although Silva’s far-post header victory against Pellistri seems shocking, it was somewhat more comprehensible.
Laurie Whitwell
Why Guardiola’s intensity needs no pre-season
Guardiola never lacks drive, which helps to understand why he began making overt allusions to negotiating a new deal in the US preseason. Since he is back and raring to go, those who have just recently returned from vacation will need to catch up quickly, especially those who trained with him in the preseason.
Consider a play from the first half where no United player pursued the ball after it was put behind the City defense. Ederson was told by Guardiola to come out and clean up right away, but he chose not to. The game was subsequently delayed by the referee due to an injury, and Guardiola gave Ederson and Ruben Dias exactly what they needed to do. This led to a full-team team chat, complete with the typical frenzied hand signals.
(Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Another instance occurred when Jeremy Doku was put under pressure by a ball played down the line by Josko Gvardiol, prompting Guardiola to request a safer pass back towards Ederson. United mounted a risky attack and had a good chance to take the lead, but Guardioal will not soon forget that the Croatian should keep things simple when in possession, even though the absence of a goal shielded Gvardiol from attention.
That was not a big enough occasion for Guardiola to cringe every time United counterattacked, though, not until the half when Alejandro Garnacho gave them the lead as a substitute. We witnessed that here as well. His intensity is well known by now, and it is undoubtedly an important aspect of his management. He does all in his power to make sure that his players’ standards never decline.
Sam Lee
Did Amad advance his claim for regular spot in United’s XI ?
Amad’s career at United has taken some time to get going, but it looks like he is about to do something really special. The 22-year-old has shown himself to be a standout player this preseason, setting up many of United’s most effective offensive plays in the first half.
After the interval, the Ivorian winger would slip past City’s defense and trade one-twos with Casemiro before breaking through for a goal. Instead of shooting himself, Amad chose to square the ball across the six-yard box in an attempt to set Mason Mount up. Unfortunately for United, Mount did not quite connect with Amad, and the opportunity passed them by.
Amad is a creative player who multiplies in value when surrounded by colleagues who share his views, making him a promising right flank option for United. With the support of players like Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, he can create a small opening behind a defense where other wingers might go down hallways. Alejandro Garnacho replaced him after 59 minutes of play, and he presents an intriguing substitute for the Argentine striker.
Alejandro Garnacho and Antony still need to improve their match fitness, so the 22-year-old has a chance to start in Ten Hag’s starting lineup for the first few weeks of the season. He should seize it.
Carl Anka
(Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
How did City’s fringe players get on?
James McAtee would have benefited greatly as the new season draws near after hitting the post in the first half. Guardiola has stated that he and Nico O’Reilly, his midfield partner on Saturdays, will be in the City team this season; however, The Athletic is aware that a final decision about McAtee is still pending.
Despite having players like Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne ahead of him, he is not as near to the starting lineup as, say, Bobb. It will be interesting to watch, first and foremost, if he does stay in the team this season and, if so, exactly how that looks. He is undoubtedly a very gifted player. O’Reilly, on the other hand, did not particularly suffer, but there were several areas where he could have done better. For instance, he frequently raced with the ball and lost it.
A Wembley showdown is always going to be a step or two above, but in mitigation, he stated during preseason that he was growing used to playing in front of crowds that were loud enough to prevent him from hearing the manager or squad members. Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis were the players on the next tier up, and both of them shown that they belonged on the City squad.
Both players performed admirably in the preseason, and Bobb will probably open the league season on the right wing, which will provide him the chance to have a breakout year. He demonstrated his brilliance by providing a lovely assist for Bernardo Silva’s equalizer. That perfectly captures his style.
Sam Lee
(Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
How seriously was the game played?
Is the Community Shield the first chance for (minor) silverware in the season? Or a dressed-up bit of pre-season from which we look to take too many conclusions?
Guardiola has acknowledged that he included the Community Shield in his medal total as, during his tenure there, the Super Cup was seen as having some significance in Germany and Spain. In his news conference on Thursday, Ten Hag described it as a competitive game, but he also mentioned that he did not want to take any significant chances with his players. Just before the hour, the United manager made four substitutions: Scott McTominay, Facundo Pellistri, Toby Collyer, and Alejandro Garnacho replaced Kobbie Mainoo, Amad, Mason Mount, and Harry Maguire.
On Saturday, we were given a half-and-half. The first half was slow for both teams to warm up, but nutmegs, take-ons, and a few fierce slide tackles sparked some energy. For a little nostalgia, check out the line-ups from the 2008 Community Shield. Jonny Evans was an unutilized substitute. On Saturday, he cleared a lot of ground. This was not a friendly sedate to relieve ring rust.
Even if the execution was poor in a few instances, you could see the general notion of how each side intended to handle the season. In 2024–2025, United intends to explore a little bit more with their short goal kick routines. Harry Maguire frequently initiates sequences by passing to Andre Onana, who then looks to a revolving pool of suitors.
However, City has demonstrated that they have the players to step in for Julian Alvarez’s offensive production. Savinho, a recent addition who loves to get on the ball and force opponent full-backs to back off, was introduced in the 62nd minute. (In 2023–24, the Brazilian attempted more take-ons than any other player in La Liga).
(David Rogers/Getty Images)
The Wembley fans went wild when Bruno Fernandes “scored” with an offside goal in the 54th minute. At least when you believe your side is winning, the Community Shield is important. After numerous second-half substitutions, the game’s structure naturally suffered, but Marcus Rashford’s response to hitting the crossbar in the 74th minute served as a reminder of everyone’s intense competition. Seven minutes later, Garnacho scored the game’s first goal, setting off joyous scenes among United supporters.
When Bernardo Silva fouled him off the ball after that, you understood that a good bit of needle remained between the sides.
City and United will have differing aims for 2024-25, but for 90 or so minutes on Saturday, they fought on equal(ish) footing.
Carl Anka
Did Matheus Nunes show Savinho why he needs a quick start?
Matheus Nunes, who needs a successful second season at City after a dismal debut campaign, and Savinho, who was making his debut following a summer move from CFG team Troyes, were City’s first changes.
It is anticipated that Savinho will play on the right this season, however he started out as Jeremy Doku’s replacement and settled in on the left wing, where he had some amazing dribbling moments, albeit his more wide passes still needed improvement.
Last season, Nunes demonstrated, for better or worse, that his greatest threat is his ability to move the ball long distances from deep positions. A one-two that was otherwise looking good was cut short by an overhit pass from Savinho, but Nunes later lost possession upfield before United scored their winning goal on the other end. Both of these individuals have more to come at different points in their careers in the City.
Sam Lee
Garnacho returns in confident fashion
Alejandro Garnacho did not participate in any of United’s preseason games, but he scored at Wembley to continue his good work for his team.
This goal was entirely his own, unlike the FA Cup final, which was largely the result of City errors. When Fernandes on the right passed him the ball, he saw an opportunity to attack with
With Scott McTominay darting past Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol out of place, the City center back is forced to consider his options. With a smooth movement, Garnacho passed through Dias and the retracing Gvardiol to finish precisely in the bottom corner. His celebration after the score revealed that he was a player who loves the limelight. The goal appeared easy.
He savoured the crowd by the corner, got mobbed by teammates, and heard his name sung loudly by the United fans behind.
If Rashford had finished with more composure, he could have also received an assist. After coming on as Amad’s replacement from the bench, he had an exciting thirty minutes and finished the shootout with a confident penalty.
Laurie Whitwell
(David Rogers/Getty Images)
What did Guardiola say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What did Ten Hag say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for City?
Sunday, August 18: Chelsea (A), Premier League, 4.30pm BST, 11.30am ET
What next for United?
Friday, August 16: Fulham (H), Premier League, 8pm BST, 3pm ET
(Top photo: Getty Images)
