Manchester City clinched the Community Shield after defeating rivals Manchester United in a tense penalty shoot-out.

Late substitute Alejandro Garnacho put the Red Devils ahead in normal time, before Bernardo Silva scored late on to bring both sides level. The game launched straight into penalties, where Pep Guardiola’s team triumphed.

City head into the 2024/25 campaign with silverware in their locker as they aim to make it five Premier League titles in a row.

How the game unfolded

United struggled to gain momentum in the opening minutes of the game, choosing to play it safe and pass back to Andre Onana between the sticks rather than advance forward. They seldom crossed the half-way line to attempt a shot in City’s half, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to dominate in attack.

Rico Lewis danced through United’s defence with ease, opening up the pitch while creating chances. On the 20-minute mark he decided to ramp up his game, firing a cross towards Onana’s goal. Both the goalkeeper and Erling Haaland raced to take a touch, before the striker flicked the ball towards the net.

Haaland’s chance was soon cleared away by United’s defence, but another came seconds later, this time for Oscar Bobb. He sent his shot rocketing into the stands, while United psyched themselves up for a chance to attack.

It was Amad Diallo who first attempted a shot for United – sending a low effort just wide of the net.

Jeremy Doku tried his luck before the break, hoping to emulate his FA Cup final goal. He was unable to find the back of the net, and the scoreline remained goalless as the teams headed into the dugout.

As play resumed, all eyes were on the nervy United. Bruno Fernandes thought he had put his side ahead by curling a beautiful effort into the back of the net, but he instantly knew he had failed to beat the offside flag and a quick flag from the official kept the score at 0-0.

Approaching the hour mark, Erik ten Hag whipped out his tactics book and made some changes, opting for a back three in possession.

Marcus Rashford held his head in his hands as he fired a chance against the woodwork, but soon United fans roared as Alejandro Garnacho put them 1-0 up.

City raced to equalise, however, and Silva arrived off the bench in time to bring the sides level once again. The minutes dwindled down and the rival sides were forced to settle their differences in a penalty shoot-out, where Jonny Evans’ miss allowed Manuel Akanji to win the trophy.

Penalty shootout

GK: Ederson – 6/10 – Didn’t have too much to do in terms of saving United attacks, but offered support when needed. Sometimes struggled in distribution when he had the ball.

RB: Rico Lewis – 8/10 – One of City’s most impressive characters on the pitch. The 19-year-old looked like an experienced head when dancing through United’s midfield. Created exciting chances in front of goal too.

CB: Manuel Akanji – 7/10 – Misplaced a few long passes early on but still represented an immense threat in City’s backline. Often looked both sharp and alert.

CB: Ruben Dias – 5/10 – Dias often struggled to get on the end of simple passes, but did block Bruno Fernandes’ chance in front of goal – whether he meant to or not.

LB: Josko Gvardiol – 5/10 – Battled with Amad and often came off slightly better when the pair faced off. He often seemed slow and perhaps rusty.

DM: Mateo Kovacic – 7/10 – Worked to carry the ball well up the pitch and silenced United with ease. He attempted chances and also covered his opposition – a strong performance.

DM: Nico O’Reilly – 6/10 – Despite his inexperience, O’Reilly looked confident for City. The ability to play deeper may have worked in the 19-year-old’s favour.

RW: Oscar Bobb – 8/10 – Showed why he deserves a call-up to the first team. Put on a true show in blue and made light work of chasing down the wing.

AM: James McAtee – 7/10 – Had an early shot which was unlucky to hit the woodwork, but made good movements to create chances for his side. A real technical, home-grown star.

LW: Jeremy Doku – 6/10 – Made light work of United’s defence and dribbled up and down the pitch with little effort. Was unable to find the back of the net but attempted a good chance before the break.

ST: Erling Haaland – 6/10 – Actually had little influence for most of the game. Found it hard to pick out his teammates for assists and had little time in front of the goal himself.

Substitutes

SUB: Matheus Nunes (63 for O’Reilly) – 6/10

SUB: Savio (63′ for Doku) – 6/10

SUB: Bernardo Silva (80′ for McAtee) – 8/10

SUB: Nathan Ake (90′ for Gvardiol) – N/A

SUB: Kevin De Bruyne (90′ for Bobb) – N/A

Subs not used: Scott Carson (GK), Stefan Ortega (GK), Issa Kabore, Kalvin Phillips

Manager

Pep Guardiola – 7/10 – Made clever substitutions and chose the right players for the shoot-out. Gave youngsters a chance which prevailed.

GK: Andre Onana – 6/10 – While United camped out in their own half, Onana did well to maintain possession and distribute among his squad. He said he wanted to take risks this season, so let’s see these risks in action.

RB: Diogo Dalot – 5/10 – This wasn’t Dalot’s best performance in a United shirt. He put up almost no fight when face-to-face with Doku, who caused a lot of problems for the defender.

CB: Harry Maguire – 6/10 – Good defending from Maguire, although the England star often looked nervy when faced with City’s attack. Often held on to the ball for too long without doing anything of note.

CB: Jonny Evans – 4/10 – The pressure seemed to be on for Evans in defence, and he made mistakes when that pressure rose. Ten Hag will hope the rest of his defenders return from injury fast. Poor penalty too.

LB: Lisandro Martinez – 6/10 – A brave performance for Martinez. Stepped up when other members of his squad faltered. Made some strong tackles and helped to keep United afloat.

DM: Casemiro – 6/10 – Very solid in defence for United, confident in ground duels and tackles. His passing was immense and he was unfortunate to not see success in front of goal.

DM: Kobbie Mainoo – 6/10 – A delight to watch, both offensively and defensively. Returned from international duty with England and got straight to work with United, highlighting just the kind of player he is.

RW: Amad Diallo – 7/10 – Amad deserves his flowers for his showing against City. He dominated the right wing and handed his teammates chances to create magic. A joy to watch.

AM: Mason Mount – 5/10 – A slightly quiet performance from Mount at Wembley, probably needs some more minutes to prove himself among the squad.

LW: Marcus Rashford – 6/10 – Rashford was incredibly unlucky not to mark his name on to the scoresheet, hitting the woodwork with his chance. He looked frustrated on the pitch, but must do better if he is to make a difference this season.

ST: Bruno Fernandes – 7/10 – A great effort from Fernandes was flagged for offside. The captain put in a strong performance and deserved more shots in front of goal.

Substitutes

SUB: Facundo Pellistri (59′ for Maguire) – 5/10

SUB: Toby Collyer (59′ for Mount) – 5/10

SUB: Scott McTominay (59′ for Mainoo) – 5/10

SUB: Alejandro Garnacho (59′ for Amad) – 8/10

SUB: Jadon Sancho (83′ Rashford) – N/A

Subs not used: Altay Bayindir (GK), Christian Eriksen, Antony, Joshua Zirkzee.

Manager

Erik ten Hag – 7/10 – Did well to bring on Garnacho and kept his side fresh. Dealt with the defence situation well.

Player of the match: Oscar Bobb (Man City)

READ ALL THE BUILDUP TO THE COMMUNITY SHIELD BETWEEN MAN CITY AND MAN UTD