FA Community Shield

Arsenal

1-1

Man Utd

 

Henry 20

Silvestre 15

  
 

Millennium Stadium

 

 

10 August 2003

Match Action

First Half

1' United attack Arsenal down the right flank. Fortune is playing at left-back.

1' Man Utd booking
Phil Neville is booked after the first tackle of the match.

2' Arsenal booking
Ashley Cole is booked for his second poorly timed tackle on Solskjaer in as many minutes.

3' A good break by Gilberto down the Arsenal right though his cross is claimed well by new United keeper Tim Howard.

5' Scholes turns away from Ray Parlour with a deft touch.

6' Scholes and Butt combine well to send the United no.8 running into the Arsenal area. The danger is cut out by Gilberto.

7' Henry's promising run down the United right sees Lauren's cross evade evryone and go out on the far side.

8' Arsenal win a corner when Henry is put clear down the left but it comes to nothing.

13' An Arsenal free-kick from 40 yards in swung in by Bergkamp but Ferdinand clears.

14' Scholes' long ball over the Arsenal midfield finds Solskjaer who is tackled with the ball running our for a corner.

15' GOAL! ARSENAL 0-1 MAN UTD
Giggs' corner from the left is flicked on at the near post by Roy Keane and Silvestre is unmarked in the Arsenal six-yard box to head into a gaping goal.

18' Nicky Butt is unlucky to concede a free-kick to Arsenal after his challenge on Vieira.

20' GOAL! ARSENAL 1-1 MAN UTD
A brilliant brilliant strike from the mercurial Thierry Henry from the free-kick clears the United wall and squeezes inside the left post, beating Tim Howard low to the American's right.

23' Possession play from United as they sweep the ball from left to right and back again.

25' Great ball through the United defence which Lungberg chases. Thankfully for Howard, Silvestre is there to usher the ball calmly back to the American.

27' Scholes' flick on the edge of the Arsenal area is grabbed by Lehmann just ahead of the predatory van Nistelrooy.

28' Silvestre makes a great run down the left and his cross finds Giggs 14 yards out. The Welshman can't get a shot away though, and the Gunners' defence clears.

32' Clever play finds Solskjaer in acres on the right and his delicate pass is intended for van Nistelrooy. Sol Campbell intervenes.

33' So nearly another United goal. Butt's cross is flicked on by Giggs and his effort strikes the post. Van Nistelrooy can't quite score from the rebound, heading over from two yards out.

35' Slight pause in play as treatment is given to an injury picked up by Butt. The players take on some much needed liquid.

38' Solskjaer's cross from the right is cut out by Toure.

41' Phil Neville's cross from the right finds Giggs who cushions a header into the path of the onrushing Solskjaer.  Campbell challenges the Norweigan and deflects his shot for a corner.

42' Giggs' corner goes harmlessly out for a goal-kick.

43' A long ball over the top finds Giggs who beats Toure to the ball. His first time chip cleares Lehmann but his chip hits the roof of the United goal.

44' The lively Solskjaer fires wide again but it's United who end the first-half playing the better football.

Half Time: ARSENAL 1-1 MAN UTD

45' Arsenal substitutions
Robert Pires replaces Ray Rarlour and Thierry Henry comes off for Sylvain Wiltord.

46' We're straight back into the action as Scholes ball is crossed by Giggs in the inside-left channel towards van Nistelrooy at the back post. The Dutchman goes down under the challenge of Sol Campbell but the referee lets play go on.

47' Arsenal counter immediately through Ljungberg but the attack breaks down.

51' A thumping tackle by Roy Keane brings Patrick Vieira to a halt and a promising break to an end. Great challenge.

52' Arsenal booking
Patrrick Vieira's name goes in the book for his challenge on Fortune, just as the South African looked set to break away.

53' Man Utd booking
Scholes catches Ashley Cole with a late tackle and his name goes in the book.

55' Pires intercepts a United pass just inside the opposition half and races clear. Just as the chasing United defenders reach him, he tried an audacious chip from 30 yards which drifts wide of Howard's goal.

58' Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberhg is brought down a few yards inside the United half as he looks to break. Keane and Fortune sandwich him and the Swede is slow to get up.

59' Man Utd booking
Quinton Fortune is booked for the tackle.

60' Arsenal substitutions
Jeffers for Bergkamp and Edu comes on for fellow Brazilian Gilberto.

61' Man Utd substitutions
Butt comes off after a good match for new signing Eric Djemba-Djemba.

63' Jens Lehmann comes well out of his area to clear but makes a bit of a meal of it and is nearly robbed of possession. Eventually the German kicks the ball out to safety.

65' Arsenal substitution
Ljungberg now comes off to be replaced by van Bronkhorst.

66' Vieira is brought down a few yards outside the edge of the Arsenal penalty area. Robert Pires takes the resulting free-kick but he doesn't connect properly and Campbell brings the ball away.

69' Man Utd substitution
Fortune comes off for utility defender John O'Shea.

72' Arsenal sending off
Francis Jeffers is given his marching orders by referee Steve Bennett. After he and Phil Neville challenge, Jeffers gets up and then kicks Neville whilst the United man is on the ground.

77' Some great midfield passing from Arsenal comes to nothing as Edu loses possession.

78' Man Utd substitution
Phil Neville comes off for striker Diego Forlan in a positive move from Sir Alex Ferguson.

80' Djemba-Djemba narrowly avoids a booking after he kicked Sol Campbell. The referee deemed it to have been accidental and the midfielder just gets a talking to.

83' We've entered a scrappy phase of play now... can anyone win it or are we to have penalties??

86' O'Shea makes a great run down the right, his cross hits Ashley Cole but still finds van Nistelrooy. The no.10 turns in an instant and shoots powerfully over the bar.

90' In the very last minute, Wiltord is put clear but Howard confidently comes out to clear.

Full Time: ARSENAL 1-1 MAN UTD

The FA Community Shield will now be decided by penalties.

Penalty Shoot-out

Paul Scholes (Man Utd) Scores. Great penalty into the top right corner.
Edu (Arsenal) Scores in the bottom right-hand corner - Lehmann goes the right way.
Arsenal 1-1 Man Utd

Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd) Scores in the bottom left, past the out-stretched hand of Lehmann.
Giovanni van Bronkhorst (Arsenal) Howard saves at a good height to his right
Arsenal 1-2 Man Utd

Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) World class save from Lehmann.
Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal) Scores.
Arsenal 2-2 Man Utd

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Man Utd) Scores, though Lehmann got close to it.
Lauren (Arsenal) Another goal - Howard didn't move
Arsenal 3-3 Man Utd

Diego Forlan (Man Utd) Scores with a short run-up. Lehmann goes the right way but can't keep it out.
Robert Pires (Arsenal) Howard saves to his left and United win the FA Community Shield
Penalty Shoot-out score: Arsenal 3-4 Man Utd

Team News

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has chosen new signing Jens Lehmann to play in goal whilst young Kolo Toure slots into the Arsenal back four with Sol Campbell, Lauren and England international Ashley Cole. The midfield has a familiar look to it with Gilberto and Vieira again in the middle with Parlour and Ljungberg in wider roles. Upfront, the tried and tested Bergkamp-Henry partnership continues.

Meanwhile, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has packed his midfield with defensive-minded Butt and Keane operating alongside Quinton Fortune, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are the United front pair.

Stay logged on to TheFA.com for live minute-by-minute action from Cardiff.

Here are those starting line-ups:

Arsenal: 1 Lehmann; 3 Cole, 23 Campbell, 28 Toure, 12 Lauren; 15 Parlour, 4 Vieira (c), 19 Gilberto, 8 Ljungberg; 10 Bergkamp, 14 Henry
Substitutes: 7 Pires, 9 Jeffers, 11 Wiltord, 13 Taylor, 16 van Bronkhorst, 17 Edu, 18 Cygan

Man Utd: 14 Howard; 3 P Neville, 5 Ferdinand, 27 Silvestre, 25 Fortune; 16 Keane, 8 Butt;18 Scholes, 20 Solksjaer; 11 Giggs; 10 van Nistelrooy
Substitutes: 12 Bellion, 13 Carroll, 19 Djemba-Djemba, 21 Forlan, 22 O'Shea, 23 Richardson, 24 Fletcher

Colours: Arsenal - Yellow, blue, yellow; Man Utd - Red, white, black
Referee: SG Bennett (Kent FA)
Assistant Referees: KA Woolmer (Northamptonshire FA) and GB Turner (Derbyshire FA) 
Fourth Official: P Dowd (Staffordshire FA)