Arsenal Face Manchester City in Community Shield
Listen to the story
Arsenal met Manchester City on Saturday in the Community Shield, a traditional match held before the new football season begins.
The game kicked off at 3pm British Summer Time (BST) and took place at a stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The Community Shield is usually played between the winners of the Premier League and the FA Cup from the previous season.
Football writer Jonathan Wilson published an article about the match, giving his opinion before kick-off.
Wilson suggested the game could show useful information about Arsenal's ambition for the coming season.
He also mentioned the impact of Manuel Marescas, who has taken on a role with Manchester City's coaching staff.
Fans and journalists often watch the Community Shield closely, even though it does not count in the league table. It can give an early idea of each team's form and tactics.
The Guardian provided live updates throughout the match from Cardiff, describing the key moments as they happened.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City are among the strongest clubs in English football, and matches between them usually attract large audiences.
The result of the Community Shield does not affect the Premier League, but a win can still boost team morale before the season starts.
Vocabulary6 words
- Community Shield
- a football match played before the season starts, between two top teams
- kick-off
- the time when a football match begins
- ambition
- a strong wish to achieve something important
- form
- how well a team is playing recently
- morale
- the feeling of confidence a team has
- impact
- the effect someone or something has
Quiz
Answer key
1. The Community Shield 2. A stadium in Cardiff 3. No, it does not affect it
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Arsenal met Manchester City on Saturday in the _____, a traditional match held before the new football season begins.
The game kicked off at 3pm British Summer Time (BST) and took place at a stadium in _____, Wales.
The Community Shield is usually played between the winners of the _____ and the FA Cup from the previous season.
Football writer Jonathan Wilson published an article about the match, giving his opinion before _____.
Wilson suggested the game could show useful information about Arsenal's _____ for the coming season.
He also mentioned the impact of Manuel Marescas, who has taken on a role with Manchester City's _____ staff.
Fans and journalists often watch the Community Shield closely, even though it does not count in the _____ table.
The Guardian provided live _____ throughout the match from Cardiff.
Both Arsenal and Manchester City are among the strongest clubs in English _____.
The result of the Community Shield does not affect the Premier League, but a win can still boost team _____ before the season starts.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think matches like the Community Shield are popular with fans, even though they do not affect the league table?
- What can a pre-season match show about a team's future performance?
- Do you think early games like this really predict how a team will do later in the season? Why or why not?
- Would you rather watch a competitive league match or a friendly match like the Community Shield? Explain your answer.
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