BAD KOMPANY

The Community Shield match was both hard-bitten and full of incisive football. Nearly all of the attacking flair came from Manchester United, who rallied from 2-0 down to win 3-2 when Nani capitalised on a missed challenge by the Manchester City captain, Vincent Kompany, to run clear, take the ball round the goalkeeper Joe Hart and score in injury time. The game was gripping but not always edifying.

Lescott's header - following an unnecessary foul on James Milner from Patrice Evra - and Dzeko's daisy cutter put City 2 up before half-time. Ferguson no doubt followed that with a blast, and with the decisiveness which is the 69-year-old's hallmark. Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick did not re-emerge; the youth of Cleverley, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans tasked with restoring pride and reputation. It paid off.

And so, just as the chorus of Blue Moon was tuning up, just as the proclamations of Manchester City's ascension to greatness were being written, United did what United do. They rose to the occasion, found another gear. Two goals in five minutes, through Chris Smalling and, magnificently, Nani, brought them level, and left their fiercest, most visceral rivals shell-shocked. Whatever this season, the most open in years, brings, what role United will play is already clear.

KHALDOON AL MUBARAK, CHAIRMAN OF MAN CITY WITH ROBERTO MANCINI
AFTER THE COMMUNITY SHIELD

Once Nani had scored, the outcome was inevitable. City were raging against fate. They could not resist forever. A long ball, a misjudgment by the otherwise impeccable Kompany, and Nani was through, around Joe Hart, and United were in exult. This is just the first battle of the season. It had the air of a significant one.

FINAL SCORE MANCHESTER CITY 2 - MANCHESTER UNITED 3