Fabio Vieira scored the decisive spot-kick as Arsenal defeated Manchester City in 4-1 on penalties to win the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. The game ended 1-1 after normal time with Cole Palmer putting City ahead late on but Leandro Trossard levelled the game in the 10th minute of injury time with a shot that was hugely deflected.
And this result will certainly add fuel to the fire of the competitive rivalry these two clubs developed last year in the race for the Premier League title, as they look to go head-to-head once again in the top flight.
There was very little to separate the two sides in the opening 45. Both showcased their abilities to retain the ball and move it around with pace and precision. They were effectively cancelling each other out, particularly in midfield. You had two players on opposite sides making their competitive debuts to replace some key departures. Declan Rice was playing in the midfield role that made Granit Xhaka a star at Arsenal last term, and Rice’s Europa Conference League-winning experience will help add some composure as well as skill to the Gunners’ midfield.
For City, Mateo Kovacic has huge boots to fill as Ilkay Gundogan’s successor but his all-round attributes will be of great benefit to the 2022-23 treble winners. He wasn’t afraid to get stuck in with the defensive work, and then his charging runs helped his side get into some very promising positions.
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Another bright spark in the match was Arsenal’s midfield maestro Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian constantly danced his way past City players with ease, and he even planted Julian Alvarez on his backside, which earned a huge cheer from the Arsenal fans. He played a key role for Arsenal last term and he looks primed to take his game to another level this year, as the Gunners gun for the Premier League title.
If you remember last year’s Community Shield match, Erling Haaland was ridiculed online for squandering some big chances as City lost 3-1 to Liverpool. They were left to eat their words after his stunning 52-goal haul in all competitions last season. The goalscoring sensation had another quiet affair at Wembley this time around, but largely due to the excellent defending from Gabriel and William Saliba.
The game largely lacked quality in the final third but with less than 15 minutes of regulation time left, Manchester City found the breakthrough. An excellent turn and drive by Phil Foden set the Cityzens away, his pass was cut out but the ball fell to Kevin De Bruyne who headed the ball into the path of Palmer, who curled his shot into the far corner.
It seemed like that would be that but Arsenal didn’t give up. And in the 10th minute of injury time, Trossard saw a shot find the back of the net via a wicked deflection to take the game to a penalty shoot-out. The Gunners were showing they will not lie down against this ferocious City team and it was them laying down a marker that they will push them all the way in the league this term.
We cannot judge too much from this game for the season ahead. Both teams will take some time to get to their optimum capacity on the pitch and no doubt they will each add to their ranks before the summer transfer window closes on 1 September. However, Manchester City will feel that this victory will give them a huge psychological advantage of what is hopefully another gripping title race between these two entertaining teams.
