Leicester City will start the 2021/22 season as winners of the FA Community Shield after a 1-0 victory over Premier League champions Manchester City.
Follow Us
Former Manchester City attacker Kelechi Iheanacho converted a late penalty to help Leicester City defeat his old team by a 1-0 win. The Foxes have now won the Community Shield for the first time since 1971, which is when they had emerged victorious by the same 1-0 scoreline. Iheanacho was fouled by Nathan Ake in the closing stages, before picking himself up and scoring from the spot in the 89th minute. Now two-time winners of the Community Shield, after also being successful in the 113-year-old competition exactly 50 years ago, it adds to Leicester City’s honours list which includes triumphs in English football’s major competitions: the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup.
Iheanacho is the first player to score a penalty in a Community Shield final (excluding shootouts) since Gary McAllister for Liverpool against Manchester United in 2001.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola introduced British record signing Jack Grealish as a second-half substitute in the encounter. However, even his presence could not help the Cityzens create chances, having struggled in a slow first-half. Riyad Mahrez had the best chance in the second half, when he broke clear only to blaze over the bar. One of the players who played a vital role in keeping the City attackers quiet was defender Ricardo Pereira, who made more tackles than any other player against Manchester City (8). Pereira won 10 duels, completed 8 tackles, recording 2 interceptions and clearances apiece.
Playmaker James Maddison was another vital performer, completing a 75 percent pass accuracy with 3 out of 4 accurate long passes recorded. Maddison further created three chances with dominance in all duels won.
Manchester City keeper Zack Steffen and his counterpart Kasper Schmeichel looked extremely strong in goal, pulling off fantastic saves. Jamie Vardy thought he had put his side in front at the break, but Steffen made a superb improvised save to turn his effort onto the post, whilst City’s best chances fell to Ilkay Gundogan. The German international forced Schmeichel into a good save early on with a curling 20-yard free-kick, but blazed over the bar when a corner dropped invitingly for him inside the area after the break.
The Danish is now the first goalkeeper to win the FA Cup final and Community Shield while keeping a clean sheet in both games since Ed de Goey did so in 2000 with Chelsea. City’s Premier League campaign begins in eight days’ time, as they travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 15 August for their season opener. The Foxes start the 2021/22 Premier League season against Wolverhampton Wanderers at King Power Stadium. It will be interesting to see if City are able to bounce back quickly after this defeat.
CITY XI: Steffen, Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Mendy, Fernandinho (C), Gundogan (Rodrigo 65′), Palmer (Bernardo 74′), Mahrez, Edozie (Grealish 65′), Torres (Knight 74′).
SUBS: Carson, Sandler, Couto, Doyle, Gomes.
LEICESTER XI: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Amartey, Soyuncu, Bertrand (Thomas 78′), Ndidi, Tielemans (Soumare 70′), Perez (Albrighton 70′), Maddison (Dewsbury-Hall 70′), Barnes (Iheancho 78′), Vardy (Dake 70′).
SUBS: Ward, Benkovic, Choudhury.
