Chelsea v Manchester City: Community Shield team news, match odds and statistics
The Community Shield takes place on Sunday, as FA Cup winners Chelsea take on Premier League champions Manchester City. Get all the info ahead of the clash, with the first piece of silverware up for grabs.
Wembley Stadium, 1500 BST kick-off on August 5, 2018.
Sky Bet odds
- Chelsea - 5/2
- Draw - 13/5
- Manchester City - 11/10
Click here for more Community Shield odds, Price Boosts and RequestABets
*Odds correct as of 1605 BST on 04/08/18
Chelsea team news
Cesc Fabregas is doubtful for Chelsea's Community Shield clash with Manchester City with a minor knee injury.
France World Cup winners N'Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud, Belgium trio Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Michy Batshuayi plus England's Gary Cahill are yet to return following Russia 2018.
New boss Maurizio Sarri suggested a similar side to the one which featured in pre-season would play at Wembley, meaning 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi could play.
Provisional squad
Caballero, Rudiger, Alonso, Fabregas, Jorginho, Drinkwater, Barkley, Morata, Pedro, Bakayoko, Moses, Musonda, Zappacosta, Willian, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Ampadu, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Abraham, Zouma.
Manchester City team news
Manchester City summer signing Riyad Mahrez is available for Sunday's Community Shield against Chelsea.
The 27-year-old sustained an ankle injury last weekend but has been able to train ahead of the Wembley showpiece.
Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling are the only players not to return to the group after the World Cup, with manager Pep Guardiola planning to go on condition over quality.
Provisional squad
Ederson, Bravo, Hart, Walker, Danilo, Stones, Garcia, Otamendi, Kompany, Laporte, Mendy, Delph, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Fernandinho, D Silva, B Silva, Sane, Roberts, Mahrez, Bolton, Foden, Diaz, Nmecha, Jesus, Aguero.
Five things to look out for
Sarri takes his bow
Chelsea's turbulent relationship with Antontio Conte finally reached its inevitable conclusion, leading to a successful pursuit of Napoli's Maurizio Sarri.
He has not had long to implement what should be a reasonably dramatic overhaul of his predecessor's style and tactics but this match still represents his grand entrance to English football.
He will want to make his presence felt and what better opponent than Pep Guardiola? Sarri likes to play attractive, attacking football and City are likely to take up the challenge, which could make for a pleasing spectacle.
How will Jorginho settle in the spotlight?
🔵 Jorginho's @ChelseaFC debut v @PerthGloryFC:
— SPORF (@Sporf) July 23, 2018
⚽️ Touches of the ball: 101
👟 Successful passes: 98
😳 He only played 45 minutes. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2TQh4MTqni
Sarri's biggest signing to date has been his trusted lieutenant from Napoli, Jorginho.
The Brazilian midfielder is not only a crucial part of the Italian's tactical blueprint who can help his team-mates adapt more quickly to patterns of play, he is also something of a coup in that City badly wanted his services.
Guardiola thought he had secured the services of a player who would add much-needed depth and freshness to the engine room and would be disgruntled to see the 26-year-old turn in a major performance at the weekend.
World Cup hangover
As much as organisers and sponsors would love the match to be an elite contest of best against best, is almost never qualifies as such. This year looks even less likely considering the tie's proximity to the World Cup and the number of key men involved in the tournament.
Manchester City have yet to welcome England's Raheem Sterling or Belgium's Kevin de Bruyne back to training, and may be reluctant to give other star names an extensive workout. Chelsea pair Olivier Giroud and N'golo Kante won the trophy with France and continue to sit out, as do Belgian trio Eden Hazard, Michy Batshuayi and Thibaut Courtois.
Mahrez into the mix
The arrival of Riyad Mahrez for around £60million represented City's record transfer fee and surely guarantees the Algerian a key role at the Etihad Stadium. Quite what that is or where he will ultimately prove most adept in Guardiola's fluid system is less clear.
City were a relentless threat going forward last season and bringing tangible improvement to a unit that plundered 106 goals in 38 league games is no easy task.
The fact Guardiola has been on Mahrez's trail for a long time suggests he has a plan in mind and this should provide an early look at what his job will be.
Battle of the young bucks
In Phil Foden and Callum Hudson-Odoi, City and Chelsea have two of the English game's brightest prospects.
If they continue their current trajectory the pair could easily be team-mates in the national team for years to come, but they also share a common problem.
Neither can bank on regular game time considering the expensively-assembled squads they are trying to crack.
Pre-season has been kind to the youngsters though, with so many senior stars on extended breaks, and they have done enough to expect some action at Wembley.
For fans and neutrals alike this could be a chance to see two teenage talents of the highest calibre showcase their skills in front of millions.
Chelsea v Manchester City: Opta facts
- Chelsea are looking to win the Community Shield for the first time since 2009, when they beat Manchester United 4-1 on penalties. They’ve failed to win any of their last four appearances in the Community Shield.
- Manchester City last lifted the Community Shield in 2012, defeating this year’s opponents Chelsea 3-2 in a fixture that was played at Villa Park.
- This will be the third meeting between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley, with the Citizens winning the most recent one in April 2013 (2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final).
- Chelsea have lost each of their last two games against Manchester City – they haven’t lost three in succession against them since September 2010.
- Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has previously managed on four occasions at Wembley (W3 D1), with all four games coming in a different competition (Champions League in 2011, FA Cup in 2017, League Cup and Premier League in 2018).
- The last four editions of the Community Shield have been won by reigning FA Cup champions, with Manchester United in 2013 the last reigning league champion to do so.
- Manchester City have won their last two matches at Wembley, both in 2017-18 – beating Spurs 3-1 in April and Arsenal 3-0 in the League Cup final in February. They haven’t won three consecutive matches at Wembley since March 1970.
- Chelsea have won 20 matches at Wembley Stadium – only Spurs (32), Man Utd (23), Arsenal (21) have won more times.
- Only one of Chelsea’s last 17 goals (excl. OG’s) in games played at Wembley has been scored by an Englishman (John Terry vs Spurs – League Cup final March 2015), including each of the last 12 netted by non-English players.
- Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero has scored five goals in his last five appearances against Chelsea, including a hat-trick in April 2016.
- No Manchester City player has scored more goals at Wembley Stadium than Sergio Aguero (3 – level with Yaya Toure).
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