Manchester City avenged their FA Cup defeat against Manchester United to lift the Community Shield 7-6 on penalties on Saturday, after a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
The game exploded into life in the final 10 minutes as Alejandro Garnacho gave United the lead but Bernardo Silva levelled before City edged a marathon shoot-out.
Pep Guardiola's men then edged a marathon shoot-out as Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans failed to score for United.
๐ต๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ 7-6 ๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ #๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ต
โ SuperSport Football โฝ๏ธ (@SSFootball) August 10, 2024
Akanji scores the winning spot kick for City as they win it for the seventh time. pic.twitter.com/G7osf1cbf4
City have won the Premier League for a record four consecutive seasons but it is the first time in that run that they have won the season opener after defeats to Leicester, Liverpool and Arsenal in the past three years.
The English champions were severely hampered by the absence of a series of key players due to their late return to pre-season after competing at Euro 2024 and the Copa America.
City's England trio of Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden, as well as Spain midfielder Rodri are yet to return to training following their efforts in reaching the final of Euro 2024.
By contrast, United boss Erik ten Hag showed his desperation to win more silverware by thrusting teenager Kobbie Mainoo straight back into the heart of the action after his starring role for England in Germany.
Despite also leaving Kevin De Bruyne and Silva on the bench, City controlled the game early on with the electric Jeremy Doku causing havoc down the left.
James McAtee could be handed his chance to shine this season by Pep Guardiola with Julian Alvarez set to join Atletico Madrid.
And McAtee, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United, was inches away from making his mark with a curling effort that came back off the post midway through the first half.
UNITED RUE MISSED CHANCES
Ten Hag's job is widely believed to have been saved by beating City back in May and he will feel his side should have got the better of their rivals once more.
United were being starved of possession but still managed to create the better of the chances.
Amad Diallo should have gone for goal himself rather than trying to square to Bruno Fernandes with the goal gaping as halftime approached.
Fernandes started in an unfamiliar centre-forward role due to the absence of Rasmus Hojlund through injury and a lack of match fitness for Joshua Zirkzee.
The United captain thought he had opened the scoring with a stunning strike on the hour mark that was ruled out for offside.
๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ค๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐ค
โ SuperSport Football โฝ๏ธ (@SSFootball) August 10, 2024
That was a beautiful by Bruno Fernandes, but it does not count.
๐บ Stream #CommunityShield live: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/j5dRc37RHV
Garnacho was introduced for the final half-hour and brought more pace and invention to the United attack.
The Argentine teed up Marcus Rashford, who could only hit the post with just Ederson to beat.
Garnacho thought he had won the game on 82 minutes as he jinked inside the City defence and fired low into the corner.
However, City rallied and levelled in the final minute of the 90 when Oscar Bobb's cross was headed in by Silva.
The Portuguese midfielder was then the first to miss in the shoot-out as his effort was saved by Andre Onana.
Sancho, though, experienced more penalty woe at Wembley after missing in the final of Euro 2020 for England.
His spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Ederson, who then fired in himself to keep City alive.
Evans gave City the chance to win it when he blazed over.
And it was a tale of redemption for Manuel Akanji, whose saved penalty cost Switzerland in their Euros quarterfinal against England, as the centre-back stroked home the winner.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ SuperSport Football โฝ๏ธ (@SSFootball) August 10, 2024
It almost slipped away for the fourth successive year, but this time Manchester City made sure.#CommunityShield pic.twitter.com/6EUS9bD9MM