2012 FA Community Shield
The 2012 FA Community Shield was the 90th edition of the annual English football match contested between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup, featuring Manchester City as the 2011–12 Premier League champions and Chelsea as the 2011–12 FA Cup winners.[1][2][3] The match took place on 12 August 2012 at Villa Park in Birmingham, serving as a season curtain-raiser and relocated from its traditional Wembley Stadium venue due to the ongoing London Olympic Games.[2][4] Manchester City secured a 3–2 victory, their first Community Shield triumph since 1972, with goals from Yaya Touré (50'), Carlos Tevez (60'), and Samir Nasri (65'), while Chelsea responded through Fernando Torres (40') and Ryan Bertrand (80').[2][5] The game was defined by a controversial first-half red card to Chelsea's Branislav Ivanović in the 36th minute for a challenge on Aleksandar Kolarov, reducing the Blues to ten men and enabling City's second-half dominance under manager Roberto Mancini.[2][5] Officiated by referee Kevin Friend, the encounter drew an attendance of 36,394 spectators, reflecting the unusual timing and venue amid the Olympics.[4][5] This result provided Manchester City with early silverware ahead of their title defense, while Chelsea, managed by Roberto Di Matteo, showed resilience despite the numerical disadvantage.[2]Background
The competition
The FA Community Shield is an annual football match contested in England between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and the FA Cup, serving as the traditional curtain-raiser to the new top-flight campaign.[1] If the same team claims both titles, the double winners instead face the Premier League runners-up to ensure two distinct clubs participate. This single-game format, played in mid-August, is officially classified as a competitive fixture by the Football Association, though it carries a ceremonial significance as the season's opener.[1] Established in 1908 as the Charity Shield, the competition evolved from earlier charity matches like the Sheriff of London Charity Shield dating back to 1898, initially pitting professional and amateur teams against each other before adopting the current league-cup winner format in 1921.[1] It was renamed the FA Community Shield in 2002 following a ruling by the UK's Charity Commission that the original name no longer complied with charity regulations, though the event retained its philanthropic roots by directing proceeds toward community projects and grassroots football initiatives supported by the Football Association.[6] By 2012, the competition had reached its 90th edition, with a history of closely fought encounters that have occasionally foreshadowed broader seasonal outcomes for the participants.[1] Traditionally hosted at a neutral venue to emphasize its national prestige, the match has been held at Wembley Stadium since 2007, following earlier stints at locations like the Millennium Stadium during Wembley's redevelopment. Exceptions occur when scheduling conflicts arise, such as in 2012 when the fixture was relocated to Villa Park due to Wembley's use for the London Olympics football events.[7] The winners are awarded the Community Shield trophy, a silver shield emblematic of the competition's charitable heritage, while all gate receipts and related revenues fund Football Association programs benefiting youth development and community engagement across England.[1] In the 2012 edition, Manchester City and Chelsea represented the respective qualifiers for the contest.[7]Qualification
The FA Community Shield is contested annually between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup, providing an opening match to the English football season.[1] Manchester City qualified as the 2011–12 Premier League champions, securing the title on the final day of the season with a dramatic 3–2 victory over Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium on 13 May 2012. This marked the club's first top-flight league title since 1968 and their ninth appearance in the Community Shield.[4] The win came via two stoppage-time goals, with Pablo Zabaleta equalizing in the 90th minute and Sergio Agüero scoring the decisive winner seconds later, overturning a 2–1 deficit.[8] Chelsea qualified by winning the 2011–12 FA Cup, defeating Liverpool 2–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 5 May 2012. This victory represented Chelsea's seventh FA Cup triumph and their tenth Community Shield appearance.[9] Ramires opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Didier Drogba added a second early in the second half, and Andy Carroll pulled one back for Liverpool in the 64th minute, though the Blues held on despite late controversy over a disallowed goal.[10] The 2011–12 domestic season concluded with the Premier League on 13 May, followed shortly by Chelsea's FA Cup success earlier that month, setting up the traditional league-cup winners' clash. Chelsea's qualification came amid their remarkable European campaign, culminating in a 2011–12 UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich on 19 May 2012, while Manchester City had concentrated primarily on domestic competitions after exiting the Champions League in the group stage. No single team won both the Premier League and FA Cup that season, avoiding the need for the double-qualification rule that would pit the same side against itself or invoke a cup runners-up.[1]Pre-match
Venue
The 2012 FA Community Shield was held at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, as Wembley Stadium was unavailable due to its use for the Olympic football final on 11 August 2012 during the London Summer Olympics.[11] The Football Association selected Villa Park as a neutral venue with a strong history of hosting significant matches, offering a capacity of 42,573 spectators at the time. Villa Park has served as the home stadium for Aston Villa Football Club since 1897, when the club relocated from their previous ground at Wellington Road. The stadium's pitch measures 115 by 75 yards, providing a standard playing surface that has accommodated numerous high-profile fixtures over its 125-year history, including multiple FA Cup semi-finals and England's first post-war international match in 1947. Known for its vibrant atmosphere generated by the Holte End stand, Villa Park has long been regarded as one of England's most iconic football venues, capable of delivering an intense matchday experience for neutral events like the Community Shield. Logistically, the match kicked off at 13:30 BST on 12 August 2012 to align with the Olympic schedule's aftermath, allowing sufficient recovery time for the venue and broadcast arrangements.[7] Official attendance reached 36,394, reflecting strong interest in the contest between Premier League champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners Chelsea.[4] The game was broadcast live on ITV1 in the United Kingdom, ensuring wide accessibility for viewers.[7]Officials
The match officials for the 2012 FA Community Shield were appointed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and confirmed on 3 July 2012.[12] Kevin Friend, a 41-year-old referee from Leicestershire and a member of the Leicestershire and Rutland County Football Association, was selected as the referee.[13][14] This was Friend's first appointment to a major final, marking a significant milestone in his career that began on the Football League list in 2003 and saw his promotion to the Select Group of Premier League referees in 2009; he later officiated the 2013 EFL Cup final and the 2019 FA Cup final before retiring in 2022.[14][15] Assisting Friend on the lines were Michael McDonough from Northumberland and Richard West from the East Riding of Yorkshire, whose primary roles included flagging offside positions, throw-ins, and goal-line decisions to support accurate game flow.[12][16] Anthony Taylor from Cheshire served as the fourth official, responsible for overseeing substitutions, managing the match ball, signaling added time, and monitoring technical area conduct to maintain discipline.[12][17] With Friend having officiated without notable controversies in prior high-profile fixtures, the officiating team was chosen for their experience in managing the tense, derby-like atmosphere anticipated between Chelsea and Manchester City in this season-opening showpiece.[14]Team preparations
Manchester City entered the 2012 FA Community Shield as the defending Premier League champions, with manager Roberto Mancini emphasizing the importance of building on the momentum from their dramatic title-winning campaign the previous season.[18] The squad featured key contributors such as midfielder Yaya Touré and forward Sergio Agüero, who were expected to anchor the team's attacking prowess without major absences disrupting the core lineup.[19] While the team dealt with minor injuries to defenders Micah Richards (ankle) and Gareth Barry (groin), as well as Vincent Kompany being doubtful with a knee issue (though he ultimately played), Mancini focused preparations on maintaining defensive solidity and exploiting counter-attacks to defend their status as league leaders.[18] Pre-season friendlies had showcased City's form, with the group motivated by their unbeaten run-in to the 2011–12 title.[19] Chelsea, under interim manager Roberto Di Matteo following their triumphant 2012 UEFA Champions League victory, approached the match with an eye on integrating fresh talent into a resilient squad proven in cup competitions.[20] Di Matteo highlighted the return of players like Juan Mata from Spain's Olympic campaign, alongside Brazil's Oscar who was unavailable due to his nation's gold medal match, as opportunities to bolster midfield creativity.[21] The emphasis was on acclimating high-profile new signing Eden Hazard, with the winger's flair seen as pivotal to enhancing Chelsea's attacking transitions, despite a minor hamstring injury sidelining Marko Marin.[19] Preparations included testing a strong defensive unit in pre-season friendlies, such as a 4-2 win over Seattle Sounders, aiming to channel the morale from their FA Cup success into early-season cohesion.[21] Media coverage amplified the pre-match hype surrounding the rivalry between the two sides, framing the encounter as a high-stakes opener between recent adversaries with no direct matchup in the Community Shield since the 1970s.[18] Pundits pointed to City's formidable recent form, including their league dominance, against Chelsea's proven cup resilience, with previews anticipating a tactical battle influenced by the summer's transfer drama around Hazard.[19] The absence of prior shared history in the fixture added intrigue, positioning it as a fresh test of both teams' ambitions for the 2012–13 season.[21]Match
Summary
Chelsea lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Petr Čech in goal behind defenders Branislav Ivanović, John Terry, David Luiz, and Ashley Cole; John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard anchoring midfield; Ramires, Eden Hazard, and Juan Mata supporting forward Fernando Torres, with Ryan Bertrand and Daniel Sturridge among the substitutes.[2] Manchester City also adopted a 4-2-3-1, featuring Costel Pantilimon in goal; Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Stefan Savić, and Aleksandar Kolarov in defense; Nigel de Jong and Yaya Touré in central midfield; James Milner, Samir Nasri, and Sergio Agüero alongside striker Carlos Tevez, with Gaël Clichy and David Silva on the bench.[5] The first half saw intense action, with both sides drawing on recent team preparations that highlighted key players' sharpness. In the 40th minute, Fernando Torres opened the scoring for Chelsea, putting them 1–0 ahead. Just two minutes later, at the 42nd minute, referee Kevin Friend issued a red card to Branislav Ivanović for a reckless challenge, leaving Chelsea to play the remainder with 10 men. At halftime, Manchester City made their first change, substituting Gaël Clichy for Stefan Savić.[5][2] The second half began with Manchester City capitalizing on their numerical advantage. Yaya Touré scored in the 53rd minute to give City a 2–1 lead, showcasing his midfield dominance. Chelsea responded by introducing fresh legs, replacing Eden Hazard with Ryan Bertrand in the 71st minute and Juan Mata with Daniel Sturridge in the 74th minute. Samir Nasri extended City's advantage to 3–1 with a goal in the 65th minute. In the 76th minute, Manchester City substituted David Silva for Samir Nasri. Ryan Bertrand pulled a goal back for Chelsea in the 80th minute, reducing the deficit to 2–3. The final change came in the 88th minute when Edin Džeko replaced Carlos Tevez for City. The match ended with Manchester City securing a 3–2 victory, completing a comeback from the early deficit against 10-man Chelsea. Yaya Touré earned Man of the Match honors for his decisive goal and commanding performance in midfield.[5][2]Statistics
The match statistics highlight Manchester City's edge in several key areas, particularly after Chelsea were reduced to ten men following Branislav Ivanović's red card in the 42nd minute.[2]| Statistic | Chelsea | Manchester City |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 46% | 54% |
| Total shots | 7 | 10 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 6 |
| Corners | 5 | 9 |
| Fouls | 14 | 14 |
| Yellow cards | 5 | 3 |
| Red cards | 1 | 0 |