Community Shield Preview: Manchester United vs Manchester City - Analysis and Insights

The first competitive game between England’s elite takes place this Saturday, as reigning four-time Premier League champions Manchester City renew acquaintances with their noisy neighbors, back-to-back FA Cup winners Manchester United.

Taking place at Wembley, the game is played out for the first piece of silverware on offer this season, and the winner will likely feel well prepared and buoyant heading into the long league season ahead.

As the game approaches, we take a look at the key players, positions and areas of the pitch where crucial battles will decide the game, while trying to anticipate which side of Manchester the Community Shield will be heading to for the 2024/25 season.

How did the Manchester clubs' perform in pre-season?

Pep Guardiola's side has had a relatively quiet summer, both on and off the pitch. With just one new signing in Savinho, combined with one friendly win from four fixtures, a 4-2 win over Chelsea, the Cityzens are perhaps looking to lull competing Premier League clubs into a false sense of security before the new league season.

Welcome to Manchester, Savinho! 🤩🪄 pic.twitter.com/zVpSlnEtkK

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 6, 2024

Having lost to Celtic (4-3), AC Milan (3-2), and Barcelona (4-1 on penalties), City have likely experienced something of a hangover, after many of their players reached the latter stages of international competitions earlier in the summer.

Manchester United, though winning two games, have had a similarly underwhelming pre-season, and have arguably looked less impressive due to the lower standard of opposition they have faced. They kicked off their pre-season with a journey to Norway, where they lost to Rosenberg 1-0, and were absolutely dominated in every possible metric.

However, they improved in their next fixture, this time traveling to Edinburgh, where they beat Scottish giants Rangers 2-0. Their next fixture, a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, saw the start of their tour of America, where they also played Real Betis and old rivals Liverpool, beating only the Spanish side.

Despite occasional good performances, United’s form seems erratic, and their levels of performance fluctuate massively between games, meaning you simply never know which United you’re going to see.

City on the other hand have looked slick and threatening even in defeat, and certainly perform to a higher level when they have an off day. It will be interesting to see if United turn up at Wembley on a good day.

Manchester UTD and Manchester City’s Main Men

Erling Haaland appears to have put the summer break to good use. Having not qualified for Euro 2024 with Norway, the Scandinavian had the best part of two months to get himself in the best possible shape for the new campaign.

During City’s tour of America, it seemed Haaland had spent his time off well, as he scored five goals in four pre-season friendlies against fearsome opposition, and it seems he will be beginning the new season in the same way he ended the last one.

ERLING HAALAND RAW DOGGED 7-HOUR FLIGHT, fresh after scoring preseason hat trick against Chelsea.

Proof he’s more machine than man. 🤖

🎥: IG/erling.haaland pic.twitter.com/qT4D6xpYcN

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) August 4, 2024

For Manchester United, their striker conundrum is a little less clear cut. Rasmus Hojlund, starting striker for the majority of last season, suffered a hamstring injury in United’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, and the strain which will rule him out for a minimum of 6 weeks.

This means that £36 million summer signing Joshua Zirkzee is in line to start in his first competitive game for his new club in a cup final atmosphere, a one-off opportunity to show what he can do before the long, arduous Premier League journey begins again. A first audition if you will.

Certainly a talented player, it remains to be seen how he adapts to the physical nature of English football. A physical player himself, he shouldn’t have any difficulty evolving his game to fit Ten Hag’s style, but we have certainly seen better players fail to impress in England.

Manchester UTD and Manchester City Team News

Manchester United carry the brunt of the injuries coming into this fixture, missing not just Rasmus Hojland, but marquee signing and promising French center back Leny Yoro as well, who will be out for at least three months after also coming off injured in United’s friendly with Liverpool.

Games Leny Yoro is likely to miss due to injury.

I can’t believe this 😞 pic.twitter.com/q7TvcSGKiA

— 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 (15) (@TheYoroEra) August 2, 2024

City lost no first team players to injury during pre-season, but will be missing a couple of younger names, as Rico Lewis and Josh Wilson-Esbrand required medical attention during their 4-2 friendly win over Chelsea. Lewis will likely be more of a miss than Wilson-Esbrand, but with astounding squad depth at their disposal, City will no doubt find a suitable replacement.

A number of players for both sides are yet to have any minutes in pre-season, with City heading towards the Community shield game with Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva, amongst others, yet to be given the opportunity to find fitness in their friendly games.

United have a similar issue, with Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez all unavailable during pre-season thanks to their demanding international campaigns earlier in the summer.

It will be interesting to see how both teams line up with such limited fit personnel. I feel that both managers will take risks with some of their players who are not yet match fit, giving them a half or so to pick up the pace, but they could just as likely stick a youngster in at the deep end. Regardless, I will try my best to predict who starts.

Manchester UTD vs Manchester City Predicted Lineups

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Onana (GK), Wan Bissaka, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mount, Diallo, Rashford, Zirkzee.

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ortega (GK), Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Rodri, Grealish, Silva, Bobb, Haaland.

Manchester UTD vs Manchester City Player to Watch

There are many high profile players to choose from when it comes to labeling star players to keep an eye on, but as many of these names have had no minutes under their belt since their respective international tournaments, I am picking a name that has perhaps gone under the radar during pre-season.

Amad Diallo has looked excellent for United, and has received plenty of minutes during the off-season, starting and finishing every friendly since the Red Devils’ clash with Rangers. In that time, he has bagged two goals, and according to Sofascore, has averaged a 7.5 performance rating across the four games he played.

Hey! 😃 pic.twitter.com/SCqxh7TIYR

— Amad Diallo 🇨🇮 (@ADiallo_16) August 8, 2024

Becoming a regular starter under Ten Hag in the last 8 games of last season, and with a growing reputation after that already iconic 120+1 winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup, United fans will be hoping that this is the year that Diallo really starts to show some progress.

If his pre-season form is anything to go by, he could be shaping up for a breakthrough year, but United had an awful injury problem throughout last season. He must stay fit if he is to compete for a spot in the first team.

Where can I watch Manchester United vs Manchester City?

ITV 1 will be showing live coverage of the curtain raising game of the English football season, and for those without access to their TV, the game will also be available on ITV X, available on mobile, so you can watch the game on the go.

Manchester UTD vs Manchester City Prediction

While it seems sensible to predict that the City winning machine will come out victorious once again, Manchester United actually hold the most recent bragging rights in this fixture, beating their bitter rivals in the FA Cup final 2-1 to secure their spot in the Community Shield showpiece.

While United seem to have plentiful areas to improve, they can certainly raise their levels when the stakes are high. With key players likely set to be missing for both sides, this could be a far more even Manchester Derby than we have been used to seeing in the last five years.

Prediction: 2-2 (United to win on penalties).