toptop
Manchester
City came from behind to beat 10-man Chelsea 3-2 at Villa Park and win the FA
Community Shield.
Second-half goals from Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and
Samir Nasri turned things around after Branislav Ivanovic's red card before the
break.
And while substitute Ryan Bertrand did pull one back
late on after a slip-up from Costel Pantilimon, City were just too strong for
their opponents in an ominous display.
Roberto Mancini's men had started the brighter of the
two teams with James Milner and Alexander Kolarov getting forward well as
wing-backs in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
But despite looking the more threatening, they found
themselves a goal down just after the half-hour mark thanks to the resurgent
Fernando Torres.
Ramires beat two men cutting in from the right and
managed to find the Euro 2012 golden boot winner in the box who lifted the ball
left-footed over the advancing Pantilimon.
Last season's FA Cup winners, Chelsea, hardly had time
to celebrate before Ivanovic lunged in two-footed on Alexander Kolarov.
While the Chelsea player ended up with the ball,
replays showed the defender had caught his compatriot heavily on the ankle and
referee Kevin Friend issued a straight red card.
Backs-to-the-wall
Chelsea still got to the interval ahead and would have
been entertaining hopes of another backs-to-the-wall effort after all the dramas
of their UEFA Champions League run last season.
But Toure soon put paid to those ambitions with a
drilled effort early in the second half and Tevez then put the Premier League
champions ahead with a stunning individual goal.
Soon after, Nasri finished off an excellent team goal
following good work from Kolarov as City threatened to overrun their beleaguered
opponents.
This is a Chelsea side prepared to fight in adversity,
however, and when Bertrand followed up Daniel Sturridge's shot there were brief
thoughts of another remarkable comeback.
But it was not to be and - in echoes of May - City
were once again left celebrating on the pitch with the trophy after the final
whistle.
Manchester City
Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Kompany, Savic (Clichy 45), Kolarov, Milner, De
Jong, Yaya Toure, Nasri (Silva 75), Aguero, Tevez (Dzeko 87)
Subs Not Used
Johansen, Kolo Toure, Johnson, Razak
Booked
Savic, Kompany, Pantilimon
Goals
Y. Toure 52, Tevez 58, Nasri 64
Chelsea
Cech,
Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Mikel,
Lampard, Ramires, Mata (Sturridge 73), Hazard (Bertrand 70), Torres
Subs Not Used
Turnbull, Cahill, Meireles, Essien, Piazon
Booked
Ramires, Lampard, Mikel, Cole, Bertrand
Sent Off Ivanovic
Goals Torres
40, Bertrand 79
Attendance
36,394
Referee
K. Friend