Manchester City kicked off the new season by defeating Manchester United in a tense 12-yard battle to win the Community Shield. However, this may not bode well for the Premier League, as the Community Shield curse seems to have been hanging over the champions since the 2011/12 season. Of the past 13 Community Shield winners, only Manchester City defended their Premier League title in the 2018/19 season. So, whether the "Blue Moon" can break the curse and become an exception, everyone is anxiously waiting for the answer.
It's worth noting that Manchester City have missed out on the Community Shield three times in a row, yet have won the Premier League title each time. In contrast, Arsenal and Liverpool have won the Community Shield in recent years, but failed to win the Premier League. There were even rumors that Manchester City's captain Gaudio intended to "let the game slip" in order to avoid the curse. But in fact, City did not go all out in this match, but unexpectedly led to half-time, and eventually drew 1-1, and won the penalty shootout with 12 yards.
Manchester City won the last Community Shield in 2019 by beating Liverpool by 12 yards. However, Liverpool won the title this season by a huge margin of 18 points, while City failed to defend their title. Now, City have once again won the Community Shield by 12 yards, making one wonder if the drama will repeat itself in the Premier League this season.
Nevertheless, Manchester City is the only team in the past 13 seasons that has won both the Community Shield and the Premier League title. Therefore, fans of the "Blue Moon" need not worry too much about the threat of a curse.
Here's how the Community Shield winners have corresponded to the Premier League champions in recent years:
11/12 Manchester United - Manchester City
12/13 Manchester City - Manchester United
13/14 Manchester United - Manchester City
14/15 Arsenal-Chelsea
15/16 Arsenal-Leicester City
16/17 Manchester United - Chelsea
17/18 Arsenal - Manchester City
18/19 Manchester City - Manchester City
19/20 Manchester City - Liverpool
20/21 Arsenal - Manchester City
21/22 Leicester City - Manchester City
22/23 Liverpool-Manchester City
23/24 Arsenal-Manchester City
24/25 Manchester City?
