Prelude favours Chelsea

FA COMMUNITY SHIELD: Chelsea 2 Manchester Utd 2:THIS COMMUNITY Shield occasion cannot be dismissed as a bogus match. It had the hallmark of authenticity in the rancour that so often comes to the fore when rivals meet. Manchester United's reaction to the second Chelsea goal was certainly not a rueful shrug. There was rage over the substitute Michael Ballack's unpunished bodycheck on Patrice Evra moments before Frank Lampard put his side 2-1 ahead.

The United left-back, 10 minutes later, conducted a reprisal on the German that brought him a yellow card. Still, an afternoon that closed with Chelsea’s victory in a shoot-out had more to do with laudable enterprise than feuds.

United, who had been 1-0 ahead, were galvanised by the manner in which they had fallen behind, and Wayne Rooney equalised in the second minute of stoppage time after being sent clear by the substitute Ryan Giggs.

The indignation in United’s ranks was warranted. After Evra was floored, his side was still in possession and that must have persuaded the referee Chris Foy to play the advantage, but it was of no benefit when their left-back lay on the ground.

Chelsea recovered possession and the sporadically effective Didier Drogba cut inside John O’Shea before picking out Lampard. Ben Foster got his hands to the ensuing drive but merely helped the ball on its way over the line via the post.

The goalkeeper’s shaky performance may have been the most significant factor. Foster hopes to establish himself with his country. With the incumbent, David James, left out of the England squad because of a knee problem, there was a prospect of Foster featuring against Holland in Wednesday’s friendly. Fabio Capello, at the least, will have reservations.

Alex Ferguson had pronounced that Foster would be between the posts at the 2010 World Cup and declared the 26-year-old to be “streets ahead” of any other English goalkeeper.

That may well be true but there was a reminder that reputations can only be established in competitive matches. Foster will have to do much better if Edwin van der Sar is not to be reinstated next month when he makes his comeback after a hand operation.

Foster was blameless in the shoot-out as the victors converted all four of the penalties they needed, with Salomon Kalou slotting the last. Michael Carrick was the sole United player to succeed from his side’s three efforts.

This outcome, of course, is no salve for Chelsea’s loss to United on penalties in the 2008 Champions League final.

Foster was still the goalkeeper who had the greater impact on the result. He was tentative when Chelsea scored in the 52nd minute. Lampard linked with Florent Malouda, who flighted a cross with which Foster, under pressure from Drogba, barely connected. Ricardo Carvalho headed home the loose ball.

The Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, may feel he is carrying good fortune if Carvalho, the Portugal centre-back, is to be his true self once more. He was bedevilled by injuries and dwindled as an influence last season but he illustrated at Wembley that he can be a key factor in the season ahead.

With the new signing Yuri Zhirkov absent because of a knee injury there was a sense Ancelotti was simply developing a deeper knowledge of his inheritance.

He will have found this game more instructive than any of the friendlies to date. United initially nullified the diamond midfield system that the Italian wishes to employ. With Darren Fletcher effective in front of the defence, Lampard, before his goal, had limited scope. If the result here does not count for very much, then Ferguson can generally be happy.

Nani had often been lamentable in the last campaign but he was full of conviction here, at least until he was withdrawn after dislocating his shoulder when toppled by John Terry. He is not a replica of Cristiano Ronaldo but he accomplished enough here to make United rueful about his injury.

In the 10th minute, he veered in from the left, cut across the hapless Branislav Ivanovic and fired low into the far corner, with Petr Cech conceivably unsighted.

Yet Chelsea posed a threat throughout; as early as the sixth minute, Evra had knocked the ball against his own bar to deny Ivanovic. It was an afternoon of small margins. That could be the case throughout the season.

CHELSEA:Cech, Ivanovic (Bosingwa 46), Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Mikel (Ballack 65), Essien, Lampard, Malouda (Deco 77), Drogba, Anelka (Kalou 83). Subs not used: Hilario, Alex, Belletti. Booked: Ivanovic.

MAN UTD:Foster, O'Shea (Fabio Da Silva 76), Ferdinand, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Park (Giggs 75), Fletcher (Scholes 75), Carrick, Nani (Valencia 62), Rooney, Berbatov (Owen 75). Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Gibson. Booked: Berbatov, Evra, Owen.

Referee:Chris Foy (Merseyside).

GuardianService