Manchester City: Assessing All 5 of the Citizens' Community Shield Wins
While it may not be the most prestigious of matches in the footballing calendar, Manchester City's tunnel-vision winning mentality means they take the FA Community Shield as seriously as any other cup competition.
Pep Guardiola's men insisted that they had won a domestic quadruple last season, including the Community Shield in their list of achievements. While many diminish the significance of the game between Premier League and FA Cup winners, it's an exciting way to kick off the new footballing year.
This Sunday, City face Liverpool, as the Reds finished as Premier League runners' up, and the Citizens won literally every domestic trophy.
The Manchester club have competed in the final a total of 11 times, winning five of those matches.
Let's take a look back at City's five successful Community Shield outings:
1937: Manchester City 2-0 Sunderland
City's first Community Shield victory (or Charity Shield, as it was then called) came at Maine Road in 1937, as a crowd of 14,000 supporters witnessed the Sky Blues beat Sunderland 2-0.
City won the 1936/37 First Division title, and goals from Alec Herd and Peter Doherty helped the Citizens past the reigning FA Cup champions, Sunderland. It was a good year for the blue side of Manchester, as their rivals Man Utd were also relegated from the top flight in the same season.
1968: Manchester City 6-1 West Brom
City fans had to wait another 31 years before lifting the Shield again, when they met West Brom in the curtain-raising fixture in 1968. The game was once again played at Maine Road, this time in front of 35,510 spectators.
City had just won their second ever league title, and West Brom had secured their fifth FA Cup trophy.
Sky Blues legend Francis Lee bagged a brace, along with fellow striker Bobby Owen. An own goal from Graham Lovett and a final strike from Neil Young rounded off the City scoring, whilst Dick Krzywicki scored the Baggies consolation goal.
1972: Manchester City 1-0 Aston Villa
This final was played under different circumstances than usual in 1972, as league winners Derby County and FA Cup champions Leeds United declined the opportunity to take part in the Charity Shield.
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The FA then invited City, who finished fourth in the top flight, and third division champions Aston Villa to fill the spaces left by Brian Clough and Don Revie's men. The match was played at Villa Park in front of an attendance of 34,859 fans.
The Citizens won by a single goal, thanks to a penalty converted by 1968 Charity Shield hero Lee.
2012: Manchester City 3-2 Chelsea
40 years and hundreds of millions of pounds later, Roberto Mancini's men took on Chelsea in the 2012 Community Shield. City had won their first ever Premier League title in the 2011/12 season, in the most dramatic of fashions.
Meanwhile, Roberto Di Matteo's side claimed the FA Cup and an extraordinary Champions League victory during the Italian's stint as caretaker-manager. The match was played at Villa Park in front of 36,394 supporters, as Wembley was unavailable due to London 2012 Olympic commitments.
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City ran out 3-2 winners thanks to goals from Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri. Fernando Torres and Ryan Bertrand responded for the Blues, but it wasn't enough to stop the Citizens claiming their fourth Community Shield success.
2018: Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea
Last year's final saw the same two sides meet as in 2012, as 72,724 spectators watched City come out on top against the London club at Wembley.
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A brace from the Sky Blues' leading scorer Sergio Aguero was enough to defeat Chelsea, as Guardiola's record-breaking men marched on.
They would go on to defend their Premier League crown last season, and now are looking to retain the Community Shield for the first time in their history.
Champions League winners Liverpool stand in their way, and it is guaranteed to be a great spectacle between two of the outstanding teams in European football.
