Manchester United 3 Chelsea 1:Manchester United won their third Community Shield in four years today as they avenged last year's Wembley defeat to Chelsea.
A sublime opener finished by Antonio Valencia and a ridiculous debut goal from substitute Javier Hernandez put United 2-0 up.
Salomon Kalou pulled a goal back late on and double-winning Chelsea threatened to level before Dimitar Berbatov sealed their fate in stoppage time.
The contest sprung into life in the fifth minute when Ashley Cole — whose every
touch was jeered by United supporters — misjudged a crossfield ball from Wayne Rooney, giving Valencia a sight of goal.
The winger tried to chip Hilario from just inside the box but did not get enough height on the ball.
Valencia turned provider four minutes later, his right-wing cross met full on the volley by the unmarked Paul Scholes, who could not keep the ball down.
Moments later, Edwin van der Sar spilt a 25-yard strike from Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou was first to the rebound, but could only send the ball back across goal and away to safety.
Van der Sar made amends brilliantly seven minutes later, springing left to turn
aside Branislav Ivanovic’s six-yard header from Florent Malouda’s free-kick.
The action immediately swung back to the other end, a delightful clipped ball by Scholes finding Rooney six yards out, but the England striker scuffed his finish wide from a tight angle.
Park Ji-Sung then saw a half-volley blocked by Paulo Ferreira, with Rooney’s cries of handball rightly falling on deaf ears.
The frantic pace relented until the 40th minute, when the excellent Scholes played in Michael Owen, this time with a clever header. But the striker could only hook the ball wide via an Ivanovic clearance.
Scholes’s latest gem of a crossfield ball a minute later helped break the deadlock. Rooney drifted to the right to collect it before matching it with a brilliant first-time cross that was swept into the net by Valencia.
Moments before half-time, Michael Essien sent a 30-yard half-volley wide as Chelsea tried to hit back.
United made a triple substitution at half-time, replacing Rooney, Owen and Park with Berbatov, Nani and summer signing Hernandez.
Chelsea started the second period on top, Malouda flashing a 20-yard shot narrowly wide six minutes in.
But Scholes almost proved their undoing again, his 50-yard ball finding Hernandez, whose cunning reverse pass was just too far in front of a lunging Berbatov.
John Obi Mikel then pulled off a Scholes-like ball to Kalou but the Ivory Coast striker could not take it in his stride.
That proved Mikel’s last major contribution as Drogba entered the fray on the hour, with Daniel Sturridge joining him for Anelka.
Michael Carrick failed to connect properly on the turn with a Nani pass seconds later, while Kalou’s first-time bullet was too close to Van der Sar.
Essien then curled narrowly wide from 25 yards, while Van der Sar was quick off his line to prevent Malouda reaching a Drogba ball.
The goalkeeper then blotted his copybook again by palming a Ferreira cross straight to Cole before snaffling the full-back’s tame finish.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, United handed a debut to Chris Smalling in place of Fabio, Chelsea responding by introducing fellow new boy Yossi Benayoun for Malouda.
Sturridge screwed a long-range effort wide before Hernandez helped himself to a debut goal in comic fashion 14 minutes from time.
John O’Shea released Valencia down the right and the winger’s low cross was met by Hernandez, who slipped again, kicking the ball against his own face and into the net.
Both sides made a double substitution, Cole and Ferreira off for Yuri Zhirkov and Jeffrey Bruma, with Ryan Giggs and Darren Fletcher replacing Scholes and Carrick.
Sturridge wasted a golden opportunity to pull a goal back seven minutes from time when he shot too close to Van der Saar after an inch-perfect sliderule pass from Essien.
But Van der Saar handed Chelsea a lifeline seconds later when he parried the striker’s next shot straight to Kalou, who swept home the rebound.
Last season’s double winners were well on top and Drogba hit the side-netting from the narrowest of angles.
Kalou failed to control a Drogba cross in stoppage-time before United sealed victory, Nani releasing Berbatov, who coolly lobbed the ball over a stranded Hilario.