The only team to make it to the Community Shield was Manchester City, but they somehow lost it.
As Arsenal tied the score in the game’s 101st minute before winning the penalty shootout, the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners’ hopes of a Septuple were dashed. In the second half, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden were introduced to a City team that was significantly below par, and Cole Palmer took advantage. However, just as the blue confetti was about to be produced, it suddenly switched to red.
The temptation to overreact to the return of top-flight football can be great: remember all those piping hot takes about Erling Haaland after his miss against Liverpool? This is the first glimpse of what the Premier League season may hold for an audience that has been starved of football and its compelling narrative for about, erm, six weeks. Additionally, it’s unclear how significant of a game this actually is; Pep Guardiola has already stated that if it doesn’t count as a trophy, he will stay on vacation, although they consistently enter it considerably below their best.
City’s accomplishments last season magnified the enormity this season, positioning them to win three competitions before the year is up and turn a Treble into a Septuple of sorts. Since the Champions League final, City’s hierarchy has talked about them frequently enough to know that there is a great desire to win them.
The team was also purposefully denied access to tens of thousands of fans who had cheered them on during their previous appearance at Wembley and a week later in Istanbul. A boycott over a ridiculous kickoff time that ignored the fans of the team whose followers had to travel the most distance finally forced the FA to make a change, and it will hopefully inspire others to follow suit.
City should be applauded for successfully selling out their allotment of over 31,500 tickets despite the boycott by the most ardent supporters. This achievement is again another indication of the club’s rapid expansion. Some people attended Wembley, and they shouldn’t be condemned for going; nevertheless, it was obvious by the lack of songs or noise coming from their end of the stadium – there were more cries for substitute De Bruyne than the entire team combined – that this was not a typical audience.
It is also safe to conclude that Erling Haaland would not have been substituted with 30 minutes remaining and no goals in the game if this were the final of another championship. Since his colleagues had hardly produced any chances, it had been difficult for him to capitalize on any of them. For City, this issue might persist into the upcoming campaign.
City appeared to be lacking in midfield and attack with the departures of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, as well as the inclusion of De Bruyne and Foden on the bench, which was surprising in the case of Foden given that Julian Alvarez was chosen in the starting lineup. Despite how well-groomed Mateo Kovacic appeared on his competitive debut after joining from Chelsea in the summer, there wasn’t much natural chemistry with Haaland up front.
It was expected that it would take De Bruyne and Foden, who were brought on as replacements, to put together a smooth move from open play. The latter passed to Cole Palmer, who saw William Saliba deflect his effort over the bar. City had been forced to rely on long-range shots and set pieces up until that time in the game, which was 70 minutes long.
Bukayo Saka lived up to his reputation by giving Manu Akanji a difficult time at left-back, forcing Arsenal to endure lengthy periods without the ball even if they had better chances. The game was more memorable for the no-nonsense refereeing that teams have been informed will be in place going forward. Stefan Ortega made two superb saves from Kai Havertz, and John Stones wonderfully blocked when a Gabriel Martinelli rebound appeared to be headed for the net.
As the referees attempt to regain control of the game by flashing yellow whenever they believe their decisions are being questioned, despite Arsenal having two shots on goal in the first 45 minutes, they still managed to receive three bookings for dissent, including manager Mikel Arteta. To the chagrin of the Gunners, Stuart Attwell and his colleagues were less focused on the traditional elements while they were hot on the new endeavour, like Rodri’s continuous fouling.
As De Bruyne and Foden entered the game, the momentum changed. After his match-winning efforts against them were so crucial in the title battle, Arsenal must be sick to death of the Belgian. After sitting out the tour games, he looked easily like the best player on the pitch once he came on at Wembley.
De Bruyne headed the ball into Palmer’s path after Foden’s furious run, where he had earlier found Palmer to find Foden. Palmer then checked back onto his left foot and curled an excellent attempt beyond Ramsdale. You could tell just how much they both loved victory by the way Guardiola and the team’s captain Kyle Walker punched the air.
A Leandro Trossard shot in the eleventh of the eight additional minutes—there had been a clash of heads in the lengthy time added on as part of the new refereeing directives—deflected in off Akanji and brought Arsenal to within one goal. De Bruyne and Rodri missed their spot-kicks, and the Gunners won thanks to the absence of Gundogan, Mahrez, and Haaland.
While De Bruyne may yet depart for Bayern during this transfer window, Walker was the first to comfort him after his miss, and after being treated to dinner by Guardiola on Friday night, the team demonstrated what else City is capable of. Before the year is up, two additional trophies are up for grabs, and despite Arsenal’s triumph here, there is no reason to believe that the Blues won’t begin as heavy favorites to win the Premier League for a fourth straight season.