Manchester City triumphed in the Community Shield on penalties, with Manuel Akanji scoring the decisive kick after Jonny Evans missed his attempt. The match, held at Wembley on Saturday, ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to a penalty shootout that City won 7-6 against Manchester United, the FA Cup holders.
As the match approached its final moments, United appeared to be on track for a repeat of their unexpected FA Cup final victory over City when Alejandro Garnacho scored in the 82nd minute. However, City midfielder Bernardo Silva equalized just before the end of regulation time, forcing the game to penalties.
During the shootout, Akanji netted the winning penalty after Silva had previously failed to score. Evans and Jadon Sancho also missed their chances for United.
United believed they had taken the lead shortly after half-time, with captain Bruno Fernandes scoring from outside the box, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Substitute Garnacho’s finish gave United the temporary lead, but Silva’s close-range goal from Oscar Bobb’s cross brought City back into contention.
This victory marked City’s first Community Shield win since 2019, ending a streak of losses to Arsenal, Liverpool, and Leicester City in previous years.
City manager Pep Guardiola expressed satisfaction with the win, noting the challenge posed by United’s transition play. He stated, “It is nice to play this game because it means you won something in the previous season… The target now is not to win the Premier League, it is to focus on the next game.”
Despite missing several key players, including Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Rodri, City’s academy graduates stepped up to control possession, but not before United had squandered some early opportunities.
United manager Erik ten Hag reflected on the game’s outcome, emphasizing the need for his team to take the positives into their upcoming league campaign, stating, “We managed to be on an equal level with Man City… There are many positives we can take.”
Manchester City will begin their pursuit of a fifth consecutive Premier League title against Chelsea on August 18, while Manchester United’s season opener is scheduled at home against Fulham this Friday.