Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United
(United win 4-3 on penalties)
The FA Community Shield
The Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
10th August, 2003
Manchester United collected the first trophy of the new season when they beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties to win the Community Shield. New American goalkeeper Tim Howard was the Reds hero with two superb saves in the shoot-out...
This year's Premiership title race is going to be another nailbiter if the Community Shield is anything to go by.
And judging by the dismissal of Gunners striker Francis Jeffers for kicking out at Phil Neville, it won't be the friendliest of rivalries either!
A new season has already created its new hero in United's American goalkeeper Tim Howard. Fergie picked his summer signing ahead of Fabien Barthez and Howard was mobbed by his team-mates after producing outstanding saves in the shoot-out from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Robert Pires.
On overall Community Shield evidence, these two sides look as well-matched as ever.
If United played the better-balanced football, Arsenal carried the greater individual threat. And their manager Arsene Wenger can point to this being the first meaningful game of the campaign for his three biggest stars Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires while United have already faced the likes of Juventus and Barcelona in America.
Two bookings in the first 90 seconds - for Neville and Ashley Cole - proved there are no friendlies between these two.
Two goals in the opening 20 minutes showed exactly why they will start next weekend's Premiership as the bookies favourites.
United drew first blood with a well-worked team goal, while Arsenal equalised almost immediately thanks to the individual genius of reigning Footballer of the Year Thierry Henry.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men - who had come from behind to pip Arsenal to the title in May - took a 15th minute lead when a Ryan Giggs corner was glanced on by Roy Keane and Mikael Silvestre had the freedom of the six-yard box to power a header past German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
With Keane and Nicky Butt dominating midfield in the early stages, Arsenal needed a quick response. And they got on after 19 minutes after Nicky Butt had been penalised for a meaty challenge on Vieira, that United claimed was legal.
Henry demanded the ball from his team-mates and from 30 yards he managed to drill a low shot past the wall and just inside the right-hand post of new United goalkeeper Tim Howard.
United continued to play the better football and Giggs hit the post with a nudged from a Scholes cross.
The half-time arrival of Pires for his first action since the summer's Confederations Cup sparked a steady trickle of substitutes from both sides.
But the desire to win was as strong as ever - with Sol Campbell berating Ruud van Nistelrooy when the Dutchman fell to ground, Roy Keane dispossessing Vieira with a thumping tackle that brought roars of approval from the United fans and then Vieira, Scholes and Quinton Fortune all getting yellow cards.
However, Jeffers took the competitive spirit too far after 74 minutes when his tangle with Neville turned nasty and the young striker kicked out at the United player while Neville lay on the ground.
In oppressive heat, United couldn't take late advantage against ten men and the match went into penalties.
Jens Lehmann's tactic of dancing up and down the goal-line didn't stop Paul Scholes from firing home the opening penalty.
The two Vans - Bronckhorst and van Nistelrooy - had successive spot-kicks acrobatically saved by the club's new foreign goalkeepers. And in the end it came down to Pires. He took the 10th penalty of the shoot-out and although his effort was well-struck to Howard's left it was no match for the goalkeeper's elastic leap.
Arsenal won the Community Shield last year but lost the league title to Manchester United. They must now fervently hope there can be a total reversal of fortune this season.
From Joe Bernstein at the Millennium Stadium
Teams
Arsenal (4-4-2): Lehmann: Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole; Parlour (Wiltord), Ljungberg (van Bronckhorst), Vieira, Gilberto (Edu); Bergkamp (Jeffers), Henry (Wiltord)
Goals: Henry 20
Man Utd (4-4-2): Howard: P Neville (Forlan), Ferdinand, Silvestre, Fortune (O'Shea); Solskjaer, Keane, Butt (Djemba-Djemba), Scholes; van Nistelrooy, Giggs
Goals: Silvestre 15
Match Officials (wearing green)
Referee: S G Bennett (Kent FA)
Assistant Referees: K A Woolmer (Northamptonshire FA) and G B Turner (Derbyshire FA)
Fourth Official: P Dowd (Staffordshire FA)
Attendance: 59,923
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