The curtain rises on the 2024/25 English football season this weekend with the traditional curtain-raiser, the Community Shield. Often dismissed as a glorified friendly, this year’s edition carries a touch more significance, as Manchester United, fresh from their FA Cup triumph, lock horns with Premier League champions Manchester City.

The Community Shield has long straddled the line between an exhibition and a competitive fixture. Historically, it’s been seen as little more than a final tune-up before the real action begins. But in recent years, its importance has subtly grown, offering a valuable chance to lay down an early marker. This time around, with local pride at stake, the match might carry a bit more bite.

Pre-season moves

Manchester United ended last season on a high, stunning City in the FA Cup final. Erik ten Hag, who seemed destined for the sack at various points last season, has somehow secured another year at the helm. Now operating under the watchful eye of a new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United have been active in the transfer market. They’ve splashed €62 million on 18-year-old Leny Yoro to reinforce their backline and added the promising Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for €42.5 million to their attacking arsenal. Jadon Sancho, back from a productive loan at Dortmund, appears to have mended fences with Ten Hag and should be a valuable addition. However, Yoro’s pre-season injury means he’ll miss the start of the campaign, though his absence shouldn’t be too disruptive given his age.

City, by contrast, have had a relatively quiet summer. With whispers that this could be Pep Guardiola’s final season at the Etihad, the club has only made one significant signing: 20-year-old Brazilian forward Savinho, acquired for €25 million from Troyes after impressing on loan at Girona. The departure of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid is the other headline from their transfer dealings, but with the wealth of talent at Guardiola’s disposal, City’s lack of activity won’t cause sleepless nights for their supporters.

There are no winners

Pre-season form is notoriously unreliable as a predictor of what’s to come, and I’m firmly in the camp that it means little in the grand scheme of things. That said, City’s preparations have been somewhat inconsistent, while United have stumbled, suffering defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool.

Despite these pre-season wobbles, I expect City to edge this one. Guardiola, ever the perfectionist, will still be smarting from the FA Cup defeat to United and will relish the chance for a bit of early-season revenge. Ten Hag, on the other hand, will see this as an opportunity to build momentum and silence any lingering doubts about his future.

But let’s not kid ourselves: the outcome of this match will have little bearing on the fortunes of either side over the course of the season. So, enjoy the spectacle for what it is—a glitzy, slightly over-hyped pre-season warm-up.

Which way do you think it will go? Will United’s resilience or City’s dominance prevail on Saturday? Let us know your thoughts.

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