The English season got off to a familiar start as Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero struck twice, including his 200th goal for the club, as City beat Chelsea 2-0 to claim the Community Shield for the fifth time at Wembley on Sunday.
The game between the Premier League champion and FA Cup winner is the traditional season curtain-raiser but on this evidence the gap between the two teams, which last season was 30 points, is as wide as ever despite the arrival of Maurizio Sarri as Chelsea manager and the signing of midfielder Jorginho.
Where City was quick and incisive, Chelsea looked disjointed, with the Brazilian-born former Napoli midfielder a bag of nerves in front of a new four-man defense.
Aguero struck his first after 13 minutes when Phil Foden, filling in admirably for Kevin De Bruyne, burst forward to find the Argentine, who wrong-footed defender Antonio Rudiger with a low shot to become the first City player to reach 200 goals.
Man of the match Aguero added a second from a Bernardo Silva pass after the interval but missed three clear chances, twice shooting wide and then foiled by a fine Willy Caballero save.
“Sergio was so sharp, so good,” said City’s Pep Guardiola. “Last season he had an operation on his knee. Now he feels free. He scored two goals, but could have scored five”.
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