The 2024/25 campaign officially kicks off among English top-flight teams with the Community Shield at Wembley - and it’s the same two teams meeting as were on that pitch at the end of May for the FA Cup final.
Manchester United triumphed in that game, quite possibly salvaging Erik ten Hag’s job in the process, and they’ll once more face a derby encounter with a trophy as the prize, against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
Silverware might be on the line but this is essentially a glorified friendly, baring little relevance to the season ahead - yet it will be an important part of both teams’ preparations regardless, as league action is just one week away. United in particular are struggling with injuries at the start of the season, while Man City haven’t had all their Euro 2024 and Copa America stars back for long, so additional practice time on the pitch is of the essence.
Community Shield - Pre-Match Analysis
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United have to improve against the “lower-class” teams if they are to challenge, after proving they can beat the best.
United face Manchester City in the Community Shield having defeated the Premier League champions in the FA Cup final while Ten Hag also cited his record against Liverpool as evidence of their ability to trouble elite sides.
But United finished 31 points behind City last season as they were beaten by Brighton, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Fulham, who ended up between ninth and 17th, and drew at home to relegated Burnley.
The Key Transfers
The transfer market has changed – and football will never be the same again.
When Manchester United’s new hierarchy sat together after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of a minority stake, one of the first and easiest decisions was over recruitment. The late August purchase of a 30-year-old like Casemiro was cited as the type of deal they’d never do again, and the way that was discussed is known to have aggravated the Brazilian. There was much more to the stance, however, than just Casemiro’s profile or performances. United were also seeking to follow “best practice”. They were going to copy the transfer philosophies of the two leading clubs in the game right now – Manchester City and Real Madrid.
It is now very rare that either of those two, who were also the last two Champions League winners, spend significant money on players over the age of 23. Most of their recent high-profile signings for fees have been exactly along these lines, be that a 21-year-old Josko Gvardiol, a 19-year-old Jude Bellingham, a 21-year-old Erling Haaland or an 18-year-old Eduardo Camavinga. These are for reasons of tactics as well as long-term strategies. Younger players are more suited to the intense pressing that dominates the modern game and also means clubs are investing in the next best talent.
The Road to Wembley
Since May, United have signed the promising pair of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, though their preseason tour of the US was missing several of their key players and they duly lost to both Arsenal and Liverpool. With some early injuries affecting the team, it’ll be interesting to see how they get on after a few seasons with slow starts in the ten Hag era.
City, meanwhile, have been unusually quiet in the market, bar the sale of Julian Alvarez, though Pep Guardiola’s side are waiting in the wings to make their mark on the market.
The Community Shield result rarely tells fans a lot about the upcoming season, but there’s more at stake than usual in the derby and Pep Guardiola will want to lay down a marker as he looks for an unprecedented fifth title in a row in what could be his last season in charge.
Team News and Line-Ups
Manchester United will be without new signing Leny Yoro after the Frenchman underwent successful surgery on his foot earlier this week. He’ll be out for around three months, a little longer than Rasmus Hojlund, who will also miss the Community Shield with an injury.
Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are also doubts, as are Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been linked with a move away for most of the summer.
“It’s about a trophy, so we will put out a team that is very competitive to win this trophy,” said Ten Hag when speaking about the match.
For City, several players haven’t played a part in their preseason tour, though some could be expected to return for the first game of the season.
Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and Rodri all missed the friendlies, with Guardiola later confirming that they would not be returning to the club until next week.
Erling Haaland will likely start after his preseason hat-trick against Chelsea, while Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb and Jack Grealish should all feature after impressing in the USA.
It is yet unknown whether players such as Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji will be called upon by the Spaniard, so we may see a surprising line-up from the Cityzens.
Prediction
Both sides have enjoyed a mixed preseason, and while we may not see a full-strength line-up from either team, City’s squad depth – added to United’s injuries, lack of signings and generally lower squad quality – should see a fairly straightforward win for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Manchester United 1-2 Manchester City.
Where to Watch the Match
Man City v Man United will kick off at 3pm BST on Saturday, 10 August at Wembley Stadium in London. The match will be shown live on ITV 1, with coverage starting at 2.15pm. Subscribers can also stream the match via the ITVX App. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
