The dream of the sextet flew for the Manchester City of Pep Guardiola, a historic challenge that only two clubs in the entire history of football have achieved: Barça in 2009, precisely led by the Santpedor coach, and Bayern Munich in 2021 under the command of Hans-Dieter Flick.
The dream flew unhappily, when City were eager to celebrate the fourth title in a row, the leaf that added to the clover (the English terminology of the treble) of last season. At minute 100, of an added 8 minutes that was extended due to a clash of heads between Walker and Thomas Partey. At the end of the last corner, Trossard kicked and the ball bounced off Akanji, leaving Ortega pinned.
Two missed penalties
The equalizing goal of the gunners led the final of the Community Shield straight to penalties. The batch was twisted very soon, at the first shot. Kevind de Bruyne blew the crossbar. Bernardo Silva was right, but then Rodri, the Champions League hero with the goal that beat Inter and fueled the great dream of the 23-24 season for City, missed again. Live ahead for the citizen five more titles.
Only Bernardo Silva was right between the failures of De Bruyne (the crossbar) and Rodri (stopped by Ramsdale).
came to nothing the afternoon that Cole Palmer was enthroned, a 21-year-old, a weirdo for being one of the few homegrown players with an entirely sky-blue production. The striker had scored 1-0 at a moment that seemed definitive after having replaced Erling Haaland, who was not missed because of how little he came into play. Palmer, who in the final of the European under-21 in June led the Spanish team to a bad start (they were crowned champion with England), unleashed a parabolic shot to the opposing squad that was impossible for Ramsdale to reach.
Ramsdale’s left heel and right hand twice prevented the 2-0 that would have been final.
piece movement
Palmer had replaced Haaland in a piece movement that was not limited to a simple change. He moved to the right, Julián Álvarez moved from midfielder to attack, while Foden opened up the left flank after replacing Grealish. Kevin de Bruyne had also entered to give more fluidity to the midfield than Kovacic provided in the double pivot and Bernardo Silva was located near Rodri to manage the game.
City had stopped tyrannizing the game, which at the beginning reached levels of 80% over Arsenal. In view of the fact that the very advanced pressure was ineffective, he leaned back to surprise the counterattack. Havertz and Martinelli had a double opportunity and the German ran into Ortega for the second time. Rodri, with two shots that went wide, signed the two sky-blue shots before Palmer’s great goal.
Foden and Rodri had the 2-0 that would have sentenced the duel, but Ramsdale’s left heel and then right hand prevented the two goals. The goalkeeper kept Arsenal alive, who squeezed him until the last moment with the oxygen balloon that Trossard gave him.
Data sheet
Manchester City: Ortega; Walker, Stones, Ruben Dias, Akanji; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo Silva, Julian, Grealish; Haaland. Technician: Pep Guardiola. Changes: Foden for Grealish (m. 58); De Bruyne by Kovacic (m.64); Palmer for Haaland (d. 64);
Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Magalhaes, Timber; Thomas Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Rice, Martinelli; Havertz. Technician: Mikel Arteta. Changes: Trossard for Martinelli (m. 75); Tierney for Timber (d. 75), Nketiah for Rice (d. 81) Smith Rowe for Magalhaes (d. 88), Vieira for Havert (d. 88).
Goals: 1-0 (d. 77). Cole Palmer; 1-1 (d. 101), Trossard.
Penalties: Odegaard, goal (1-0); De Bruyne, crossbar (1-0); Trossard, goal (2-0); Bernardo Silva, goal (2-1); Saka, goal (3-1); Rodri, for Ramsdale (3-1); Scallop, goal (4-1).
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
cards: Partey, Arteta, Havertz, Julian, Magalhaes.
Stadium: Wembley