Arsenal Triumphs in Thrilling Community Shield Tiebreaker

 Arsenal Triumphs in Thrilling Community Shield Tiebreaker

Arsenal Triumphs in Thrilling Community Shield Tiebreaker(Image-Getty)

Manchester City 1 (4) 1 Arsenal

Dramatic tiebreaker in the Champions' victory day! What mistake will be made in addressing today's day?

In a theatrical tiebreaker at the Women's World Cup football, Sweden bid farewell to the reigning world champion United States. In another unexpected tiebreaker, last season's treble winner Manchester City lost to Arsenal. The FA Community Shield signaled the start of the new season.

In London's famous Wembley Stadium, Pep Guardiola's City suffered a 4-1 defeat in a penalty shootout against Arsenal. The game ended 1-1 after the regular time.

The reason for calling the Community Shield tiebreaker "unexpected" was due to Arsenal's fortunate goal and the moment of scoring. In the 77th minute, young Cole Palmer put City ahead with a goal. Referee Stuart Attwell added 8 minutes at the end of the scheduled 90. That additional time was prolonged. City maintained their lead. Guardiola's face still held a smile of confidence. The wish for Arsenal to bring parity "during injury time" didn't come true—fans had not predicted that. But it happened.

In the final moments, Arsenal's Leandro Trossard found space in the box and shot. His powerful attempt hit Manchester City's Ruben Dias' chest and deflected into the net! 1-1! However, if the ball had not struck Dias' chest, it might have gone directly into City's goalkeeper Zack Steffen's hands. In that case, the final whistle might have been blown right away by the referee. The tiebreaker never occurred!

In the 115-year history of the traditional Community Shield, there has been no extra time in the designated 90 minutes. In the event of a draw, the match goes directly to a tiebreaker. There, after Arsenal's leader Martin Ødegaard, both sides successfully converted spot kicks, with Bukayo Saka and Fabio Vieira for Arsenal.

City's encounter with the net was only through Bernardo Silva. Kevin De Bruyne's shot hit the bar and Raheem Sterling's shot went wide to the right, met by Arsenal's goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. With a 4-1 victory, the Gunners clinched the English football's prestigious shield. Coach Mikel Arteta secured his third trophy.

After 2020, this became Arsenal's first silverware. The previous Shield also saw a tiebreaker. Their service had won in the Tri-Breaker. They faced Liverpool. Today, they overtook Liverpool, defeating City as well. Arsenal now has 17 Community Shield titles, one more than Liverpool. City's Hat-trick Premier League champions held the record for the most consecutive wins in the Community Shield, beating Hat-trick runners-up Forest. Earlier, runners-up Forest had held the record three times against City's city rival Manchester United.

In the first half, Arsenal dominated more. Amidst continuous attacks, they defended well against City's threats. Guardiola played two wingers, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish, leaving Riyad Mahrez and Ferran Torres behind. Their efforts have failed against Uriah Timber, Ben White, and William Saliba. They kept the shots away from the box and prevented Arsenal's defense from being overwhelmed. While creating numerous opportunities for goals, their attacking play was also impressive. However, Chelsea outperformed them this season, and City were deprived of easy opportunities like Havertz. 

In the second half, even defeating Mother Kovacic, Guardiola replaced Kevin De Bruyne with Phil Foden. City's style of play changes then. In the 69th minute, they created the first clear chance like a ball. However, a shot from Bukayo Saka on the left side of the penalty area hit Arsenal's right post.

Eight minutes later, City's gamechanger arrived. Receiving Phil Foden's cross, England's young talent scored with an angled shot from the left corner of the six-yard box. He extended City's lead. At just 21 years and 92 days old, he became the youngest goalscorer in Community Shield history. When Ces Fabregas scored in the 2005 Community Shield against Chelsea's rival Arsenal, his age was 18 years and 95 days.

As the team faltered until the end, Palmer's goal remained futile. Did it not even slightly dent their pride or inflame City's inner flames, Arsenal? In the Premier League last season, despite all odds, their 248-day points at the top of the table fell victim to Arteta's team. They had surprisingly led the table since last April. In this time, they secured the League Shield by winning just 8 matches. 

To keep Guardiola and his students on the path of winning a treble in the 2023-24 season, what a significant challenge must be faced, and this message has already been conveyed by Arsenal today.