The FA Community Shield

09/08/2009

Chelsea V Manchester United

Chelsea 2 - 2 Manchester United
Chelsea win 4 - 1 on penalties
Attendance: 85,896

Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti lands his first English honour.

Carlo Ancelotti won his first trophy with Chelsea as they defeated Manchester United on penalties at Wembley.

The West London club lifted The FA Cup little more than two months ago, and took the silverware home with them again today as their players held their nerve from 12 yards.

Chelsea had looked like winning the game in normal time after Frank Lampard put them ahead with 20 minutes remaining, only for Wayne Rooney to level the scores two minutes into injury time.

The game ebbed and flowed in glorious sunshine at Wembley, but the usual pre-season pace was not in evidence as both teams sought the psychological advantage going into the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

Chelsea went close after just six minutes when a looping corner from Lampard was flicked on to the far post. Ivanovic timed his run perfectly but his shot was headed onto the bar and away by the alert Patrice Evra.

It was United who struck the early blow as Nani fired the Champions into the lead four minutes later. While the Red Devil's summer will largely be remembered for the departure of Christiano Ronaldo, it was another Portugese winger who took the opportunity here to stake a claim for Ronaldo's starting place.

Nani was fed by Dimitar Berbatov and, using the overlapping run by Evra as a decoy, he turned onto his right foot and unleashed a low shot Petr Cech could not keep out.

While Chelsea enjoyed early possession, United were the greater threat on the counter attack and the lead was fully deserved.

Sir Alex Ferguson could have seen his side go further ahead with chances for Ji-Sung Park and Dimitar Berbatov in the space of five minutes midway through the first half. Park saw his point blank shot saved after Rooney had headed the ball across goal, while Cech denied Berbatov superbly when the Bulgarian was through on goal.

Chelsea seemed to be struggling to handle the movement of United's front four, but in typical fashion they gradually edged their way into the game and were rewarded with a couple of opportunities to level the scores before half time.

Anelka and Malouda were at the heart of most of Chelsea's attacking play and both saw shots go narrowly wide before the interval.

It took the West London outfit just seven minutes in the second period to regain parity, from the head of Ricardo Carvalho. Linked with a move to Italy for the majority of the summer, the Portugese defender was in the right place to guide the ball into the net following a Ben Foster punch.

Drogba and Foster collided as they both looked to meet a cross from Malouda, and while Foster got there first his punch did not clear the area and Carvalho headed into the unguarded net.

Chelsea were undoubtedly buoyed by the equaliser and immediately looked more likely to score again, with Anelka and Drogba both denied by fine saves from Foster.

Chelsea took the lead with 20 minutes remaining and it was Frank Lampard, the man who scored the winner in The FA Cup final back in May, who grabbed the goal.

United were left exposed at the back as Chelsea broke with speed, and with Lampard unmarked at the back post it was a fairly simple task for the midfield to drive the ball into the bottom corner.

Two of United's summer signings were introduced in the final period of the match, Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen replacing Berbatov and Nani, but it was their longest serving player Ryan Giggs who led the charge to level the game.

Delivering two dangerous free kicks that Cech had to be alive to, Giggs then provided the burst and perfectly weighted pass for Rooney to equalise two minutes into injury time.

Latching onto the deft pass from Giggs, Wayne Rooney showed tremendous nerveĀ  to lift the ball with his left foot over the onrushing Cech and save United from defeat at the death.

With the game level at the final whistle the match went to penalties and this time it was Chelsea who were clinical from the spot, and took the first silverware of the season 4-1 with Saloman Kalou notching the decisive kick.