City give Chelsea a painful lesson

Sergio Aguero spoiled Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri’s first taste of English football as the Argentine’s double gave Manchester City a stylish 2-0 victory in the Community Shield yesterday.

Blues boss Sarri, hired to replace the sacked Antonio Conte last month, endured a miserable debut as lacklustre Chelsea were swept aside by the Premier League champions.

Picking up where they left off in their record-breaking campaign last term, Pep Guardiola’s team took an early lead through Aguero, who made it safe with a second goal after the break.

The last side to win the Community Shield and then go on to clinch the title were Manchester United in 2010/11.

On this evidence, City could follow in their arch-rivals’ footsteps at the end of the season.

City’s German winger Leroy Sane was forced off injured at halftime, giving Guardiola a scare ahead of their Premier League opener at Arsenal next Sunday.

But that was the only sour note as City got back in the groove.

While the Community Shield serves as the curtain-raiser to the new season, City and FA Cup holders Chelsea have very different ambitions for the new campaign, which kicks off on Friday.

City are favourites to defend the title and among the top Champions League contenders after becoming the first English top-flight team to secure 100 points last season.

Sarri and Guardiola are close friends and dined together on the eve of the game, yet it must have left a nasty taste for the Italian.

Phil Foden drove at the heart of the Chelsea defence to set up City’s 13th-minute opener.

Foden’s incisive run ended with a simple pass to the unmarked Aguero, who applied the finishing touch with a fine low strike from the edge of the area.

It was Aguero’s 200th City goal – making the Argentine striker the first player to reach that milestone for Guardiola’s men.

In the 58th minute Aguero made a clever run to meet Bernardo Silva’s pass with a clinical finish that flashed past Willy Caballero in Chelsea’s goal. – AFP