Independent:
Manchester City beat Chelsea in thrilling Community Shield
Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3
Simon Stone
After the joy and wonder of an Olympic fortnight that will never be
forgotten, English football delivered an ugly opening to the new season
as Manchester City came from behind to beat 10-man Chelsea at Villa
Park.
Second-half goals from Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri gave the Premier League champions their first Shield triumph since 1972.
But it was the succession of niggly tackles, eight yellow cards and a straight red for Branislav Ivanovic that left the biggest impression as Chelsea lost out, despite Fernando Torres and Ryan Bertrand scoring the first and last goals.
The community aspect of this game was missing from the first whistle as referee Kevin Friend struggled to keep control.
Stefan Savic was booked after 10 minutes, which set the scene for a niggly opening period in which both sides were guilty of going too far at times.
Ivanovic was the worst offender. Forced to challenge for a stray John Terry pass, the Serbian slid straight into countryman Aleksandar Kolarov, studs raised.
It was not two-footed, but it was dangerous. And though Chelsea protested, Friend was justified in dismissing Ivanovic, who must now miss next week's trip to Wigan, plus home encounters with Reading and Newcastle.
Earlier, David Luiz had been cautioned followed by Frank Lampard, and in the immediate aftermath of Ivanovic's exit, John Obi Mikel.
In addition, Savic raised an eyebrow when he flattened Torres in an incident Friend chose to see as a free-kick in favour of the Montenegro defender when it was not inconceivable the decision would go the other way, with dire consequences.
It amounted to some introduction into English football for one-time City target Eden Hazard.
There are immediate comparisons to be made between Hazard and former Blues favourite Joe Cole in both appearance and running style.
The Belgian evidently has plenty of guts too.
Targeted by the City faithful over his summer snub, Hazard had the character to respond when he attempted a back-heel at full speed and met only with a comical fall headlong into the turf, having got his manoeuvre badly wrong.
Hazard was a bystander when Chelsea got their opener.
Ramires created it, nipping past Pablo Zabaleta before surging into the box and flicking an astute pass past Hazard to Torres on his right.
The £50million man showed signs last season of starting to find his old form and, with Didier Drogba embarking on his new life in China, manager Roberto di Matteo needs Torres to justify that massive price tag.
Today's contribution was clinical, beating the advancing Costel Pantilimon with the predatory instinct of old.
Pantilimon had been given a rare start due to Joe Hart's back injury and having been the least busy of the two keepers, probably felt hard done by.
Carlos Tevez, Samir Nasri and skipper Vincent Kompany had all gone close for the Premier League champions.
As so often on showpiece occasions, though, Toure was the man who did the damage.
Seizing on John Terry's poor clearance, the midfielder drilled a fierce shot straight back through a crowd of bodies, giving Petr Cech no chance of keeping it out.
Now City had the momentum with them and made their extra man tell.
Six minutes later, neither Luiz nor Terry were able to check Tevez's darting run along the edge of the penalty area.
From a central position, Tevez belted a superb shot into the top corner to put the champions ahead.
Six minutes after that, City scored again as Kolarov streaked past makeshift right-back Ramires and curled a cross to the near post which Nasri touched home.
If Ramires had not managed to steer James Milner's cross over the bar, an unmarked Tevez would have had a tap-in as a rampant City poured forward.
Yet it was Chelsea who scored 10 minutes from time, through substitute Bertrand, who promptly became involved in a spat with Pantilimon as he tried to wrestle the ball away to restart the game.
City came closer to grabbing a fourth than Chelsea an equaliser though, as Sergio Aguero somehow managed to turn Milner's cross wide in the final minute when it seemed easier to score.
The five goals did amount to decent entertainment. As Ramires got away with a cynical bodycheck on David Silva that should have brought a second yellow, it reminded that the behaviour just reinforced old stereotypes football needs to shed.
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Observer:
Samir Nasri helps Manchester City win Community Shield against Chelsea
Daniel Taylor at Villa Park
Manchester City played as though affronted by Roberto Mancini's suggestion that they might be only third or fourth favourites for the title. They were devastating during a second-half blitz when everything clicked and all the damage was done against a Chelsea side who must have found the experience alarming in the extreme.
Those were moments when Roberto Di Matteo's side were reminded why there were 25 points separating these teams last season and, on this evidence, we should probably see beyond whatever message Mancini was trying to send to the people above him about City's chances of a successful title defence, particularly now they have started their summer spending with the acquisition of Jack Rodwell from Everton, for an initial £15m.
At least one more signing should arrive before the transfer window closes and even if Mancini remains dissatisfied, this was a performance that suggests a confident and strong team going into the new season. Their squad is not flawless, something brought home by the erratic goalkeeping of Costel Pantilimon, playing in place of the injured Joe Hart. But the point about this City side is that they can menace even the most accomplished defences, especially now Carlos Tevez appears to be playing with a clear head.
Chelsea, in truth, got off lightly just to lose by the odd goal in five. To give them their due, they had mitigating circumstances in the form of Branislav Ivanovic's red card late in the first half. Fernando Torres, showing encouraging flashes, had opened the scoring two minutes earlier but Ivanovic, sliding in to challenge Aleksandar Kolarov, was guilty of lifting his foot and his studs went high into his opponent's shin. It was reckless and foolish and his team suffered the consequences.
For the first half an hour of the second period City were magnificent, attacking with width and penetration, scoring three times in 12 minutes through Yaya Touré, Tevez and Samir Nasri, and so dominant they should probably have made it even more of an ordeal for their opponents.
Touré and Nasri were the driving forces, showing flashes of brilliance in a new 3-4-1-2 formation. James Milner subjected Ashley Cole to one of his more difficult afternoons and for John Terry in particular, it was a demoralising experience. Terry's weak clearance had given Touré the chance to equalise but the Chelsea captain was also subjected to chants about his recent court case. They were loud and sustained and could conceivably be the soundtrack to his season.
City were a sight to behold once Touré had buried an emphatic right-foot shot past Petr Cech and, in the process, they made the backs-to-the-wall defending that helped Chelsea overcome Barcelona and Bayern Munich in last season's Champions League feel a distant memory. City's second goal, in particular, was a beauty, Nasri slipping a pass to Tevez who ducked along the edge of the penalty area and evaded David Luiz and Terry before firing into the top corner. Six minutes later, Tevez released Kolarov on the left and Nasri jabbed out a foot to divert the cross past Cech. Rarely have Chelsea been made to look so ordinary and vulnerable.
The disappointment for City came in the 80th minute when Pantilimon lost the flight of Daniel Sturridge's shot and allowed the ball to dribble out of his hands for another substitute, Ryan Bertrand, to score. Briefly, there was the sense of an improbable comeback, but there were only a few anxious moments in front of the Romanian goalkeeper. City, in fact, should have made it four when Sergio Agüero turned wide the easiest chance of the match and the afternoon could have ended in ignominy for Chelsea, with the referee, Kevin Friend, deciding to be lenient when Frank Lampard and Ramires committed fouls that might ordinarily have enticed second yellow cards.
Chelsea had their own grievances, not least because City's Stefan Savic could have been shown two yellows in the first half. Mancini substituted the young centre-half at half-time but Chelsea would be unwise to dwell on Friend's officiating. The simple truth was that City had passed the ball with much greater incision and could regard themselves as unfortunate to be losing at half-time.
Torres took his chance well, collecting Ramires's pass and scoring with a left-foot shot inside the penalty area, and the Spaniard's sharpness does at least encourage the sense he might have an improved season. Eden Hazard, however, had an undistinguished introduction to English football, notable mostly for an early dive that should have seen him booked, and then a comedic attempted backheel that saw him miss the ball and fall over. He, like Chelsea, will almost certainly improve. Worryingly for the other title contenders, so should City.
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Telegraph:
Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3:
By Henry Winter, Villa Park
As the nation raised a pint of London Pride to the Olympics, football returned with a bang, toasting itself with Molotov cocktails in a frenzied Community Shield encounter containing five goals, eight cautions, one red card and an ominous warning from Manchester City to their rivals.
Barring the huge hunger for victory, little of the Olympic spirit suffused this traditional season-opener. As one curtain fell on a sporting spectacle, another curtain was ripped from its hooks.
This was fast and furious fare, briefly scarred by Branislav Ivanovic’s challenge on Aleksandar Kolarov.
The next 50-50 in Serbian training could be lively.
Ivanovic should have been followed by others. If Frank Lampard had clattered James Milner one more time he would have got to keep him.
Stefan Savic was taken off before he got sent off. Ramires was booked for fouling Samir Nasri and then somehow escaped a second yellow for a blatant body-check on David Silva.
In the stands, there was jeering, gesticulating and even the surreal sight of a fan dressed as Zippy from Rainbow being bundled out by stewards. Throughout, the noise gave the this game a spiky, noisy backdrop.
This was football in the raw, occasionally ugly, but thrilling and everyone present revelled in its return. The tempo was quick. The commitment was endless. Skill was on show as well as the dark arts.
Mike Summerbee and Chopper Harris made fitting guests of honour.
When the trails of cordite cleared on an entertaining game, the long-term view was of a blue moon continuing to rise over the English landscape.
Drawing conclusions from this fixture has always been a haphazard pastime, particularly with players to return or sign, but this was a reminder from City of how strong they are in mind, body and resources.
Their fans kept singing “Stand up for the champions”, many of them wearing replica shirts proclaiming “Champions 12”.
The message on one fan’s back read: “Premier League dreams can come true in blue".
Other supporters waved a flag declaring: “93:20 May 13 2012”.
The moment when Sergio Agüero won City the title.
This game produced many questions, even for the winners. City need Joe Hart, absent with a slight back problem here, to stay fit all season as Costel Pantilimon was caught out for Chelsea’s second.
Roberto Mancini again persisted with his pre-season formation of three at the back, a system that can be exposed by flying wingers.
For all Jack Rodwell’s smooth running and obvious technique, it will be interesting to see where the £15m arrival from Everton fits into Mancini’s midfield. Yaya Touré was again immense in the centre.
Rodwell is not a ball-winner in the rugged manner of Nigel de Jong or the more stylish mould of Javi Martinez and Daniele De Rossi, both Mancini targets.
The way Mancini spoke about Rodwell as “one for the future” indicates that the England international will really have to hit the ground running in training, let alone games, if he is to impress his new manager.
Carlos Tévez looks like a new signing, all slimmed down and fired up.
He was exceptional here, a firefly with an eye for goal, and departed to a standing ovation. James Milner also shone with his energetic contribution down the right.
Chelsea have far more work to do. Far more. At times, David Luiz resembled a generous bouncer, lifting the rope to allow too many people through.
John Terry also looked uncertain, perhaps distracted by Luiz’s errors. The restoration of Gary Cahill alongside Terry should steady the defence, although Ivanovic is now absent for three games.
In front of the back-four, Chelsea need a more reliable shield than John Obi Mikel and a ball-winner should really be high on Roberto Di Matteo’s shopping-list.
Chelsea have recruited some stylish players: Eden Hazard gave glimpses of his promise although the Belgian seemed slightly shocked by the pace of the game.
The obvious positive was a sparky performance from Fernando Torres at the tip of Di Matteo’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
The Spaniard scored the only goal of the first half, slightly against the run of play. City had started as if they had never been away.
Tévez and Agüero darted through the middle. Milner troubled Ashley Cole. Samir Nasri forced a save from Petr Cech. Agüero headed wide.
City were sharp, fluid, threatening.
Chelsea sought to turn this tide. Hazard, working the left, attempted a flamboyant back-heel and slipped over, causing much merriment amongst the City faithful.
Then Ivanovic and Juan Mata combined, Ramires crossed but Lampard’s shot was easily saved by Pantilimon.
Five minutes from the break, Chelsea seized a surprise lead. Ramires eluded Pablo Zabaleta, placing the ball towards to Torres, who scored with an unerring flicked finish past Pantilimon.
Those who felt Torres had left his predatory days behind at Liverpool found their argument corroded here. He then made another break, cynically stopped by Savic’s elbow.
Torres laughed in disbelief when Kevin Friend ignored the offence.
The referee from the Leicestershire & Rutland FA took far more assertive action when Ivanovic flew into a tackle on Kolarov, his left boot catching his compatriot on the shin.
Chelsea complained but this was a clear example of excessive force. Kolarov was fortunate his foot was not planted in the ground.
Inelegant deeds continued in the second half. Kompany became almost a linebacker in blocking Torres.
The attention was briefly taken away from the game by a commotion by the tunnel as a lippy Zippy was marched away. Only in football.
Chelsea’s defence was soon unfastened, City striking three times in 13 minutes. For the first, Touré surged from midfield like a destroyer heading into open water.
Milner soon took up the running, putting in a low cross that Terry intercepted but cleared poorly. Touré, lurking on the edge of the area, stroked the ball low and hard past Cech.
Then Tévez showed his menace around the box, escaping far too easily from David Luiz, running along the 18-yard line and placing a powerful shot past Cech.
He lifted his shirt to reveal a T-shirt paying homage to his roots in the “Fuerte Apache” quarter of Buenos Aires.
City kept the pressure on. With Ramires struggling as an emergency right-back, Kolarov whipped in a cross that Nasri met first-time, giving Cech no chance.
There was still time for Chelsea to cause City a few palpitations. Pantilimon spilled Sturridge’s shot, allowing Ryan Bertrand to score.
Keen to get on with the game, Bertrand eventually dragged the ball away from Pantilimon’s clutches. Wrestling the Premier League trophy off City will be far harder.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/picturegalleries/9470841/Community-Shield-2012-Chelsea-v-Manchester-City-in-pictures.html
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Mail:
Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3: First blood to champions as Mancini's men edge feisty clash
By Ian Ladyman
As the Olympics reached a thundering climax in London, the football season snuck in almost unnoticed through the side door.
The Community Shield did at least provide us with a decent game, though, and for that we should all be thankful.
Manchester City, helped by the first-half sending-off of Branislav Ivanovic, have another trophy to take home to the Etihad Stadium. Chelsea, meanwhile, approached the season with the chance to win seven competitions but will now have to downgrade to six.
Certainly Ivanovic’s dismissal helped to shape this game. Chelsea were leading by a Fernando Torres goal on an afternoon that was at that point short of drama when the Chelsea defender — who has some previous — slid his studs into Aleksandar Kolarov’s ankle moments before half-time.
Referee Kevin Friend didn’t hesitate to send off the Serbia defender and from that point on the territory, the impetus and, ultimately, the game belonged to City.
It would have been interesting to see what would have happened had all 22 players remained on the field. It may have provided us with more of a marker for the season to come.
As it was, City moved through the gears in the second half to disable Chelsea’s challenge and secure victory with three very good goals. ‘We were certainly better after the sending off,’ conceded City manager Roberto Mancini. ‘I can’t deny that it helped us. It was easier after that and we played better.’
Given all that has gone on in London over the last fortnight, this game had a peculiar look to it at the start. The fact it took place at a less-than-full Villa Park didn’t help.
Early on it threatened to live down to expectations. Chelsea’s new signing Eden Hazard looked lively at times but then fell over when attempting a backheel. For a while that was a highlight.
Happily things soon improved and in the 40th minute Chelsea’s Brazilian Ramires skipped past Pablo Zabaleta and passed to Torres, who controlled the ball with his right foot and scored expertly with his left.
It was a lead that Chelsea perhaps deserved. City at this point were only fitfully fluent.
Nevertheless Ivanovic’s dismissal proved too much for Chelsea to cope with in the second half. David Luiz remains a problem for them at centre half and he was a liability when faced with a monopoly of City possession after the interval. Just in front of him, John Mikel Obi was not much better.
The dam, such as it was, burst in the 53rd minute when the imperious Yaya Toure drove a fierce shot into the corner after John Terry had only partially cleared. Twelve minutes later it was 3-1 and the game was over.
There was something to admire in each of the goals but Carlos Tevez’s strike to make it 2-1 was perhaps the pick.
Enthusiasts should be careful before they get too carried away with Tevez’s pre-season form. He remains capricious and unpredictable.
Nevertheless he does look fit, ready and eager at the moment and his right-foot shot into the top corner from 18 yards just before the hour was one of his best in City colours.
It served to deflate Chelsea, too. With half an hour left they already looked as though they felt they couldn’t win and when Samir Nasri stretched to convert a Kolarov cross in the 65th minute it briefly looked as though they might succumb to an avalanche.
As it turned out City could not score again. Sergio Aguero did shoot wide of a gaping net in the final minute following a James Milner cut-back but by then Chelsea had scored with one of their few second-half attacks, Ryan Bertrand converting after the champions’ goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon had spilled a low shot from Daniel Sturridge.
At times the game threatened to become nasty. There were eight bookings and Frank Lampard and Ramires were fortunate not to pick up two each.
Terry, meanwhile, was subjected to constant abuse by City supporters and a man dressed as Zippy from Rainbow was thrown out by stewards at half-time.
Proof, if it were needed, that the Olympic spirit has not yet permeated the thick skin of our national game.
MATCH FACTS
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 6; Ivanovic 5, Luiz 5, Terry 6, Cole 7; Mikel 5, Lampard 6; Hazard 6 (Bertrand 71min, 7), Mata 7 (Sturridge 74, 6), Ramires 7; Torres 7.
Subs not used: Turnbull, Cahill, Essien, Meireles, Piazon.
Scorers: Torres 40, Bertrand 79.
Booked: Ramires, Lampard, Cole, Bertrand, Luiz.
Sent off: Ivanovic.
Manchester City (3-5-2): Pantilimon 5; Savic 5 (Clichy 45, 6), Kompany 7, Zabaleta 7; Milner 7, Y Toure 8, De Jong 7, Nasri 7 (Silva 76), Kolarov 7; Tevez 7 (Dzeko 88), Aguero 7.
Subs not used: Johansen, K Toure, Johnson, Razak.
Scorers: Toure 53, Tevez 59, Nasri 65.
Booked: Savic, Kompany, Pantilimon.
Man of the match: Yaya Toure.
Referee: Kevin Friend 7.
Attendance: 36,394.
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Mirror:
Chelsea 2-3 Man City: Tevez and Torres strike in Community Shield cracker
By Martin Lipton
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic was sent off late in the first half, as Roberto Mancini's new-shape City edge a niggly encounter
They started as they finished, a narrow win against a team from West London, lifting silverware as the prize.
Of course, nothing significant is won or lost when the Community Shield is on offer, and Chelsea will be more concerned with the consequences of Branislav Ivanovic’s red card than the instant end of their quest for seven trophies.
But while the nation has been gripped by Olympics fever, and Chelsea have been trying to plot a future without the elemental force that is Didier Drogba, Roberto Mancini has been busy.
Busy planning a new system - three at the back, extra bodies in the middle - busy restoring his broken relationship with Carlos Tevez, ensuring the City focus is right.
And while early appearances can be deceptive - remember what premature conclusions were drawn when City tossed away a two goal lead at Wembley 12 months ago - Mancini and his players appear more steeled for the battle than the champions of Europe.
Three goals in 12 second half minutes, the best of the lot a stunner by Tevez that demonstrated why so many Chelsea fans still harbour doubts about David Luiz, turned around a game that initially threatened to have just one thing in common with events in Stratford - the swathes of empty seats.
By the end, though, as tempers raged and Frank Lampard and Ramires might have gone too, it was City who seemed more poised, convincing and prepared for what is to come over the next nine months.
Tevez, linking throughout with Sergio Aguero, making Luiz and John Terry seem heavy-legged, was terrific, Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure not far behind, Nigel De Jong far more purposeful in the tackle than anybody in blue.
Terry got a taste of what the season probably holds in store for him – he was barracked throughout.
There were things for Roberto Di Matteo to cling to, Fernando Torres’ instinctive strike and the fighting spirit which meant his team, down to 10 men after Ivanovic’s stupid indiscretion, took it to the final whistle.
Chelsea, too, still have to integrate Brazilian Oscar, need time for Eden Hazard to find his feet - watching him lose them, twice, brought hoots of derision from the City fans - and require an adaptability lacking at Villa Park.
The ease which with Torres prodded past Costel Pantilimon to put Chelsea in front on 40 minutes - after Petr Cech had been forced into saves from Tevez, Nasri and Vincent Kompany - was a positive. That was the sort of finishing £50million should guarantee.
Within two minutes, though, Ivanovic’s reckless, studs-first lunge on fellow Serb Alksandar Kolarov was punished by Kevin Friend’s red card and with Ramires moved to right-back and horribly exposed down that flank, City stepped it up.
Terry, desperately stretching out to reach James Milner’s cross, had not recovered by the time Toure drilled home (53min) and when Tevez walked away from Luiz before finding the top corner (59min), showing the message “Fuerte Apache” in honour of his home suburb in Buenos Aires, City were in charge.
That was confirmed as Luiz went missing again when Tevez and Kolorov doubled up on Ramires for Nasri (65min) to nudge home from six yards, a knife through butter.
Chelsea, replacing Hazard and the off-beam Juan Mata, gave themselves hope when Pantilimon spilled Daniel Sturridge’s shot and fellow replacement Ryan Bertrand forced home (80min).
But Aguero, of all people, missed an absolute sitter in added time, somehow wide from six yards with the goal begging, and Mancini and his men deserved the victory.
Just the first shot, the end of the phony war. City, though, look ready to rumble, despite Mancini’s post-match Oliver Twist act. Chelsea need a few more rounds of sparring.
RATINGS
Chelsea (4-2-3-1):
Cech 6; Ivanovic 4, Luiz 4, Terry 5, Cole 6; Mikel 6, Lampard 5; Ramires 6, Mata 5 (Sturridge, 75, 6), Hazard 6 (Bertrand 71, 6); Torres 7
Manchester City (3-4-1-2):
Pantilimon 6; Savic 5 (Clichy, 46, 7), Kompany 7, Zabaleta 7; Milner 7, De Jong 8, Y Toure 8, Kolarov 6; Nasri 8 (Silva, 77, 7); Aguero 7, Tevez 8 (Dzeko, 88, 6)
Man of the Match: Tevez - movement, menace, desire and determination. He can play
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Sun:
Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3
From SHAUN CUSTIS at Villa Park
CARLOS TEVEZ is not one who springs to mind as a sportsman who embodies the Olympic spirit.
But he got two gold medals here — an individual goal and a gong for his contribution to his team’s success.
The Community Shield went to the Premier League kings over the Champions League and FA Cup winners.
One-time rebel Tevez, who actually won Olympics gold with Argentina back in 2004, is like a new signing.
He appears to have put all his old problems behind him, has lost a stone in weight and is a lean, mean fighting machine.
When he was subbed at Villa Park with a minute left he even got a pat on the back from manager Roberto Mancini — and it is not like those two to have a love-in.
Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo pointed to the fact that the dismissal of Branislav Ivanovic changed the course of the game.
But they could have lost Frank Lampard and Ramires as well for fouls, both having already been booked, if referee Kevin Friend had not lived up to his name in this traditional curtain-raiser.
Blues legend Ron Harris was a guest of honour here and, while ‘Chopper’ might have approved of the Ivanovic challenge on a feisty afternoon which also featured eight yellow cards, it has no place in the modern game.
The Serb, who missed the Champions League final due to suspension, went sliding in studs up on international team-mate Aleksandar Kolarov and the red card was inevitable.
It was even more costly because he will miss the first three Premier League games of the season.
The sending-off came only two minutes after Chelsea took a 40th-minute lead through Spanish striker Fernando Torres, the £50million man who won the Golden Boot at the Euros.
Torres is under pressure to produce now that Didier Drogba has departed.
And he finished superbly after Ramires rounded Pablo Zabaleta and flicked the ball to Eden Hazard who left it for the better-placed Torres.
Belgian Hazard, bought from Lille for £32m, looks like Joe Cole with more pace when on the ball.
He started the game well before fading in the second half. It was always going to be tough for the 10 men though and on 53 minutes City equalised.
John Terry stretched to make a clearance but the ball landed at the feet of Yaya Toure, whose 20-yard drive fizzed low inside the post as Lampard tried valiantly to block.
Then came an absolute belter from Tevez who raced across the box and, despite being tracked by Brazilian defender David Luiz, he wrapped his right foot round the ball and smashed it into the top corner.
He ran to celebrate, lifting his shirt to reveal the words ‘Fuerte Apache’ on his T-shirt — the name of his home town in Buenos Aires.
City were flying and there came a third goal in the space of 12 minutes and this time Tevez was a creator.
He twisted and worked the ball out to Kolarov who cut it back for Samir Nasri and he cleverly stuck out a leg to turn it home.
There was clear daylight for City and the Blues were not showing much sign of getting back into it.
But the introduction of subs Daniel Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand, who were both called up by England after their Olympic exploits, gave Chelsea renewed zest.
Sturridge shot from the edge of the box and Costel Pantilimon, in for the injured Joe Hart, could not hold it.
Bertrand was in sharply to capitalise on the loose ball and reduce the arrears with 10 minutes left.
But City could have added more as Sergio Aguero missed an open goal from seven yards.
And Edin Dzeko, on as a late sub, took too long when sent clear by Yaya Toure and was robbed.
On this evidence, Chelsea have some work to do if they are to be title challengers. For their part, City are ready to hit the ground running. They added Everton’s Jack Rodwell for £15m to their midfield yesterday and they are going to be the side to beat.
That might change if Manchester United get Robin van Persie.
But imagine if City changed tack and came back into the race again for Arsenal’s Dutch hitman.
Then it would be all over before we’ve even started.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Lampard, Mikel, Ramires, Hazard (Bertrand 71), Mata (Sturridge 74), Torres. Subs not used: Turnbull, Essien, Meireles, Cahill, Piazon. Sent off: Ivanovic (42). Booked: Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Cole, Bertrand.
Goals: Torres 40, Bertrand 80.
Man City: Pantilimon, Savic (Clichy 46), Kompany, Kolarov, Zabaleta, Milner, Toure Yaya, De Jong, Nasri (Silva 76), Tevez (Dzeko 88), Aguero. Subs not used: Holmen Johansen, Adam Johnson,Toure, Razak. Booked: Savic, Kompany, Pantilimon.
Goals: Toure Yaya 53, Tevez 59, Nasri 65.
Att: 36,394 Ref: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).
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Express:
CHELSEA 2 - MANCHESTER CITY 3: CARLOS TEVEZ WEIGHS IN TO LIFT ROBERTO MANCINI 2
By Richard Tanner
THE words ‘Fuerte Apache’ were embellished on his T-shirt, but Carlos Tevez is more akin to the cavalry for Manchester City.
Roberto Mancini has spent the summer seething at the club’s lack of transfer activity but, effectively, he has acquired a new signing in the slimmed-down shape of Tevez.
After a season scarred by acrimony and absence, Tevez is showing the benefit of an apparent new focus and commitment to the City cause – not to mention a fitness programme which has seen him shed a stone.
His return towards the end of last season gave City a timely lift just when their title hopes were flagging, and yesterday he looked the part as Mancini’s Premier League champions started the season by winning more silverware.
After 35 years without a trophy, City have now won three in 16 months to underline that they are a talented unit with a winning mentality rather than just a bunch of warring, money-grabbing mercenaries.
Community Shield results have proved notoriously misleading over the years
This Community Shield victory was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests and it was achieved without several of their title-winning stars.
Before the game, Mancini confirmed Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell has become his first summer buy, but Tevez is the man who can make a difference as they defend the title and bid to make more of an impact in the Champions League.
Tevez scored only four of City’s 93 goals last season, but if he can maintain his concentration and score his usual 20 then Mancini’s frustration at seeing top target Robin van Persie slip away will ease.
Former Chelsea captain Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris was one of the VIP guests and he would have approved of some of the challenges in a feisty contest that underlined the FA’s wisdom a few years ago to drop the ‘charity’ tag in favour of ‘community’ for the annual curtain-raiser.
When Branislav Ivanovic was rightly sent off for his studs-up, potential leg-breaker of a tackle on his Serbian team-mate Aleksander Kolarov, legendary hardman Harris would no doubt have mused that early baths would have been a weekly occurrence for him during a career forged on such challenges.
But players now should know the modern disciplinary mantra – stay on your feet and keep your studs down.
Ivanovic has clearly not heeded it and will start the new campaign in the same way as he finished last season, when suspension ruled him out of Chelsea’s finest hour in Munich.
Eden Hazard had already caused controversy and hilarity in equal measure.
First, he produced an outrageous dive to find himself the target for the boo boys. But the jeers soon turned to ridicule when he fell flat on his face while attempting a back-heel.
Ivanovic’s dismissal was the turning point, coming only a couple of minutes after Fernando Torres had given Chelsea the lead against the run of play.
He showed some neat footwork to control Ramires’ flicked pass with one foot before he stabbed the ball home with the other.
Prior to that, City had looked sharper, Petr Cech saving from Tevez, Samir Nasri and James Milner.
But City certainly didn’t waste much of the second half before they
took advantage of having the extra man. They raced into a 3-1 lead by the 65th minute, with Chelsea’s defence in some disarray. John Terry will no doubt reflect the sooner Gary Cahill is fit to replace the hapless David Luiz as his partner in the middle of the back four the better.
Yaya Toure started and finished the move for the equaliser with Terry’s poor clearance from Milner’s cross inviting the shot.
Tevez curled in his goal after cut-ting in from the left and evading Luiz’s half-hearted challenge.
Then Nasri was left unmarked to volley the third from Kolarov’s cross.
The game looked over but for the immediate impact and youthful enthusiasm of two Chelsea’s substitutes and the butterfinger hands of City keeper Carlos Pantilimon, thrown in because Joe Hart has a back injury.
When Daniel Sturridge’s shot squirmed out of Pantilimon’s grasp, Ryan Bertrand pounced to tap home the loose ball and give Chelsea some hope.
But City should have added to their tally and Sergio Aguero, last season’s last-gasp hero, put a simple chance wide.
Chelsea should have been left with nine men when Ramires, booked earlier for a foul, blatantly obstructed David Silva. But referee Kevin Friend decided against dishing out another red.
Community Shield results have proved notoriously misleading over the years, but on this evidence boss Roberto Di Matteo has much work to do to turn Chelsea into title contenders.
Chelsea (4-4-1-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Mata (Sturridge 74); Hazard (Bertrand 71); Torres. Booked: Lampard, Mikel, Cole, Ramires, Bertrand. Sent off: Ivanovic 42. Goals: Torres 40, Bertrand 80.
Man City (3-5-2): Pantilimon; Savic (Clichy 46), Kompany, Zabaleta; Milner, De Jong, Y Toure, Nasri (Silva 76), Kolarov; Tevez (Dzeko 88), Aguero. Booked: Savic, Kompany, Pantilimon. Goals: Toure 53, Tevez 59, Nasri 65.
Referee: K Friend (Leics).
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