There was a really dramatic end to the City win over United at Wembley and Pep will be pleased especially with the team he put out. There were several vital players missing from the team which was - Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, O'Reilly, McAtee, Bobb, Doku and Haaland. At least De Bruyne, Benardo, Ake and Savinho were on the bench.
The United defence were kept busy in the opening 4 minutes or so and then City won a couple of corners but no shots yet!
There was a friendly collision between Haaland and Maguire on 14 minutes and both were OK.
On 17 minutes there is a good run by Doku but his cross just fails to find a City player.
Two minutes later and a good run by Lewis ends with his cross not quite finding Haaland and then Bobb shoots well over the bar. Plenty of pressure but the United keeper has not had to save anything!
However on 23 minutes City almost scored. Bobb finds McAtee who curls in a shot but it hits the post!
On 29 minutes United had a chance but Diallo shoots wide.
A minute or so later they had another chance on a break but they failed to get in a shot.
Then a shot from Fernandes hits Dias on the head who has to have some treatment but is OK.
On 35 minutes another United attack ends with Rashford shooting wide.
5 minutes later and City are at last back on attack down the left wing but Maguire clears for United. Then just before half time Doku has a go at goal but the ball just goes wide and he claims it was deflected but the ref gives a goal kick. Two minutes were added but it was goalless at half time.
On 53 minutes Fernandes did get the ball in the net but the flag is up for offside so no goal thank goodness! Two minutes later McAtee shoots wide .
Shortly after United won a corner when Lewis headed a cross over the line. Then United made 4 changes - nothing by City yet.
On 61 minutes Gvardiol has a good effort but his shot goes just wide.
Then City did make 2 changes - Savinho making his debut came on for Doku and Nunes on for O'Reilly.
Savinho's opening few minutes look promising while Nunes gets a yellow card for a foul!
On 68 minutes Fernandes shoots straight at Ederson and five minutes later on a break Rashford hits the post when it looked like he was going to score!
On 78 minutes Unites won a corner and there was a good chance for McTominay but he fails to find the net. Benardo Silva comes on for McAtee.
Alas a few minutes later and United scored - Garnacho cut in from the right and shot past Ederson - disaster!!!!
On 85 minutes Benardo fouls Garnacho and gets a yellow card!
A few minutes later Benardo scores for City. A great cross by Bobb finds the head of Benardo and it is one all - HURRAH!!!!
As the five added minutes start on come Kevin De Bruyne for Bobb and Ake for Gvardiol
So it is penalty time and Fernandes gives United the lead .
Then disaster as the shot from Benardo is saved by Onana and United are ahead. Dalot makes it 2-0 but back come City with De Bruyne making it 2-1. Then Garnacho makes it 3-1 and Haaland replies with a goal to make it 3-2 .
Then a great save by Ederson from Sancho and a goal by Savinho makes it 3-3
Casemiro puts United ahead but along comes Ederson to make it 4-4. McTominay puts United ahead again but Nunes cracks in a great effort to make it 5-5.
Martinez makes it 6-5 for United but Dias rolls it home for 6-6.
Then Evans shoots over the bar to miss for United and up strides Akanji to blast the ball home to make it 7-6 to City and the sky blues win the Community Shield for the first time since 2019.

The first league game of the season and the City team lacked several vital players. However new signing Savinho made his debut and some of those important players were on the bench. Alas Bob was injured in training and will be out for a while. Key player Rodri is also missing and City rarely do well when he is not playing - so we wait with baited breath!
In an early City attack a cross by Doku went over the bar and 2 minutes later Gvardiol had to tackle Gusto to stop a Chelsea attack. On 8 minutes an effort by Benardo is blocked following good work by Savinho. A little later Chelsea got a corner and that ended with a shot from Fofana going over the bar. A minute later and and a shot from Doku went wide.
On 14 minutes Dias was fouled by Jackson and then Doku won a free kick. On 17 minutes City scored. Doku passed to Benardo who passed to Haaland and he beat a defender and clipped the ball past the keeper to put City one up. It is Haaland's 100th game for City and that was his 91st goal for the club.
A few minutes later Savinho passed to De Bruyne but his shot goes just wide. After Akanji won a free kick thanks to a foul by Nkunku play went down the other end and Ederson had to catch a cross from Palmer. Then there was a shout for a penalty against City but the ref said NO!
On 36 minutes Sanchez had to save a good effort by Doku. 4 minutes later and he had to save again - this time from Benardo . Then Savinho was injured and had to go off so City were down to ten men. Chelsea did score just before half time but the flag had gone up for offside so at the break City were still one up!!
Foden replaced Savinho and on 52 minutes Haaland had a shot saved - his second touch since he scored! A minute or so later Haaland was fouled and Chelsea made a change. Then we saw some good defending by Lewis who conceded a corner. Chelsea failed to cause Ederson any problems and then Lewis scored for City but the goal was disallowed for a foul by Haaland who got a yellow card!
Chelsea made more subs and De Bruyne shot just wide following good work by Benardo.
On 84 minutes City made the result safe. Kovacic who had replaced Rodri ran past several defenders and cracked the ball past the keeper from 25 yards to make it two nil -
GAME OVER!!!!!
Chelsea had a couple of goes at the City goal but the sky blues managed to hold out and the three points were well deserved.
Considering the missing players City did quite well. The defence were kept quite busy but kept a clean sheet and the debut of Savinho looked promising. Lewis and Benardo worked their socks off. Full marks to Kovacic who scored against his old club and did well in his role in front of the back four.

No change in the City team from the Chelsea win. Good to see Gundogan on the bench but no Foden. Ipswich had 2 ex City players - Muric and Delap.
There was a surprise start to the game. After a couple of fouls and free kicks a through ball by Johnson found Szmodics on a swift break and his shot was partially saved by Ederson but the ball ended up in the net to give the visitors a one goal lead - disaster!!!
Three minutes later Savinho dashed down the right wing and was brought down by Davis near the goal line just inside the penalty area. The ref said no penalty but City wanted VAR to check it and glory be the ref changed his decision and it was a penalty. No guesses who was going to take it. Yes and up strode Haaland who shot past Muric into the corner to make it one all in the 12th minute.
Two minutes later Savinho tackled Muric - won the ball which ran to De Bruyne who shot into the goal from well outside the penalty area. City two one ahead - miracle!!!
A minute later and it was three one. De Bruyne passed to Haaland who beat Muric with his head and shot into the net from a narrow angle. Gosh was this going to be a world record score!!!!! Alas no .
City continued to attack and following a run by Doku on 27 minutes Lewis hit the bar from a good position. Shame he did not find the net.
A minute later De Bruyne took a shot from well outside the area and that hit the bar. A shame
- i it could have been 6-1!!!!!!
Then De Bruyne shot just wide and Haaland's header went wide and City piled on the pressure. Morsey got a yellow card for a foul on Savinho. The free kick was blocked
Haaland had a couple of chances just before half time so the score remained at 3-1 at the break.
Just after half time Kovacic was fouled and he went off injured. On came John Stones to take his place. On 55 minutes Szmodics was booked for a foul on Lewis and a few minutes later it was Dias's turn to get a yellow card! The crowd got excited when Gundogan started warming up on the touchline. On 64 minutes De Bruyne crosses to Haaland and his header is brilliantly saved by Muric. City win several corners but no goals yet. Then Gundogan comes on for Doku and Grealish replaces Savinho. City continued to attack winning corners but we had to wait until the 88th minute for a goal. Yes it was City who scored and it was Haaland who completed his hat-trick from outside the area with a left footed shot. 4-1 at last and it was his 10th hat-trick for City. He was then subbed by McAtee and Nunes came on for De Bruyne.
5 minutes of added time and Grealish was booked for simulation.
So City went to top of the league on goal difference and with luck it might have been more. After a quiet summer Haaland looks pretty hot and more hat-tricks to come. Lewis had a good game. Savinho looks dangerous and Benardo worked his socks off as usual. De Bruyne is getting back to top form and we have Foden to come.

It was sad to hear about the passing away of ex City manager Eriksson recently. I had visited Carrington where City trained and had a brief conversation with this gentleman before taking a number of images. You can see the images from the Carrington visit in 2008 HERE - in the september notes.

2 important players missing from today's team at West Ham. Foden is still ill and Savinho injured. Rodri and Gundogan were on the bench. It was Akanji's 100th game for City
The sky blues have a good record against West Ham away so we were hoping our good start would continue.
West Ham were quick to attack and Bowen had a shot saved in the early minutes. The ball was soon at the other end and a cross by Benardo was headed over the bar by Haaland after good play by Grealish and De Bruyne. A few minutes later a shot by De Bruyne was blocked.
After City won a corner a header by Gvardiol went wide but moments later West Ham lost the ball and Benardo passed to Haaland who shot past the keeper to give City the lead.
Two minutes later following a corner Areola had to save from De Bruyne. On 17 minutes Kevin DB hit the post and the follow-up by Grealish went wide.
Then came a disaster! On 19 minutes West Ham went on a fast break and a cross by Bowen hit Dias and was deflected past Ederson to level the scores 1-1.
City came back strongly wining a couple of corners. At the first a header by Gvardiol was saved and there was a hand ball by Benardo at the second.
City continued to press and on 30 minutes a great move involving Grealish, De Bruyne and Lewis ended with Haaland cracking the ball past the keeper to give City the lead -2-1 great stuff!!!
City continued with the pressure and Lewis shot over he bar. We also saw Haaland dash back to help the defence!
After Doku had a shot blocked City won a corner and a header by Dias went wide. Just before half time De Bruyne got a yellow card for a foul and then Haaland was fouled but alas the free kick taken by De Bruyne went just over the bar.
At half time there was an unusual change by West Ham - goalkeeper! Fabianski came on for Areola.
On 49 minutes following a corner a header by Benardo went too high. Then City had a lucky escape. A fast West Ham break ended with Kudus hitting the left hand post. The home side were now putting a lot of pressure on City and several efforts went close.
On 61 minutes Emerson got a yellow for a bad foul and a minute or so later Kilman got a yellow for a foul. On 68 minutes Pep made his first change bringing on Gundogan for Doku. Benardo moved to the right wing and following a corner Dias shot just wide. After a West Ham header went wide at a corner City made another change Nunes coming on for Grealish.
On 75 minutes Kovacic was fouled by Rodriguez who got a yellow card. 4 minutes later Soucek missed for West Ham and then City won their 11th corner!
However we did not have to wait for that vital third goal. On 83 minutes Nunes put a through ball to Haaland who ran forward and dinked the ball over the keeper to make it 3-1 - game over - at last.
It was his 8th premier League hat-trick - 11th for the club and has scored 70 in 69 games - he is racing towards the 100 mark!
City made two late changes -Walker for Gvardiol and Ake for De Bruyne. There were five minutes of added time and Akanji managed to get a yellow card for a foul. No more goals and City went back to he top of the league as the good start continued. De Bruyne and Grealish did well but Haaland - wow - what a player.