The 102nd Community Shield match in FA history will take place on the evening of August 10th at 22:00, with the reigning league champions, Manchester City, facing the FA Cup winners, Manchester United. Manchester United is the most successful team in the 116-year history of the competition, having won 21 times, with their last victory coming in 2016. Manchester City has also lifted the trophy six times, most recently in 2019. As a little trivia, the Community Shield was suspended for 14 editions between 1914-1919 and 1939-1947, due to World War I and World War II respectively.
Looking back at the pre-season, both teams have had disappointing performances in their friendlies. Manchester United has only managed 2 wins in their 5 friendlies, against opponents with significantly weaker strength. They beat Glasgow Rangers 2-0 and Real Betis 3-2. Their three defeats were against Rosenborg (0-1), Arsenal (1-2), and Liverpool (0-3). The dismal performance in friendlies has once again made manager Erik ten Hag the subject of ridicule. Even prominent English commentators have predicted on television programs that ten Hag won’t survive Christmas because he lacks the ability. The famous commentator Jamie Carragher is even more pessimistic, believing that ten Hag is unlikely to last until November.
Manchester City has won 1 win, drawn 1, and lost 2 in their 4 pre-season friendlies. Their two losses were against Celtic and AC Milan. The only win came against Chelsea, where Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick, showcasing good form and a keen eye for goal. However, Manchester City has conceded an average of more than two goals per game in these friendlies, and the players clearly haven’t fully shaken off their holiday mode. Considering it’s just friendlies, manager Pep Guardiola hasn’t been overly critical of his players. Besides, in the previous years, Manchester City has also adopted the principle of “friendship first, competition second” in their pre-season friendlies.
During the summer transfer window, Manchester United has been quite active. They first signed Rasmus Højlund from Bologna but then suffered a setback with the injury to the player in a friendly match. They then once again flexed their pricing muscle and signed the Real Madrid target, Amine Gouiri, from Lille. Unfortunately, he also sustained an injury in a friendly and the club confirmed that he would be sidelined for at least three months. Before the game, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag acknowledged that Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all doubts for the match. The horror injury wave that hit the defense last season seems to be being replicated in the new season. Even with such a tight defensive personnel reserve, the club has still decided to part ways with Raphael Varane and promising academy player, Alvaro Fernandez. Perhaps the only good news is that the healthy Alejandro Garnacho will finally be available for selection. Rasmus Højlund could also make his debut for his new team.
On the other side, Manchester City has been somewhat indifferent to the transfer market. So far in the summer window, they have only signed Matheus Savio for €25 million, while they have been busy selling academy players. Furthermore, rumors linking Manchester City to any transfer have been scarce. The latest news concerns Mateo Kovacic’s potential move to a Turkish team, and Manchester City’s persistent interest in Rodrigo. In the pre-match press conference, Pep Guardiola stated that Manchester City will be missing midfield stalwart Rodri, while Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Phil Foden will be returning to the team next week. Ederson has been subject to transfer rumors, so his presence in the starting lineup is uncertain. Julian Alvarez might be playing his last match for Manchester City. Cole Palmer, who impressed in the pre-season friendlies, could get more attention from manager Pep Guardiola.
This match marks the 194th Manchester derby in history, with Manchester United emerging victorious 79 times and Manchester City 61 times. Last season, the two teams met three times, with Manchester City comfortably defeating their rivals in the two league encounters. However, they suffered defeat in the crucial FA Cup match. Will history repeat itself in the FA Cup match?
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