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Leicester win Community Shield 1-0 as Grealish debuts for Manchester CityJack Grealish had earlier come off the bench for Manchester City but there was to be no dream debut for the England midfielder
Reuters
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 Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel and teammates celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Community Shield Action. Credit: Reuters Photo
Leicester City's Kasper Schmeichel and teammates celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Community Shield Action. Credit: Reuters Photo

Kelechi Iheanacho scored a late penalty against his old employers as FA Cup winners Leicester City beat Premier League champions Manchester City 1-0 in the Community Shield curtain-raiser to the season on Saturday.

The victory was the second in a row at London's Wembley Stadium for the Foxes, who beat favourites Chelsea by the same scoreline in the May FA Cup final but finished fifth in the Premier League.

The game appeared set for a penalty shoot-out when second-half substitute Iheanacho went down after a lunge by Nathan Ake in the 89th minute, and then confidently fired into the top corner from the spot.

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"I've been practising penalties. I missed one last season so I've been practising in pre-season. I had just one thing in my mind: just shoot at an angle and hit it hard, and that's what I did," he said.

Jack Grealish had earlier come off the bench for Manchester City but there was to be no dream debut for the England midfielder in his first game as the Premier League's most expensive player.

Signed for 100 million pounds ($138.71 million), Grealish came on in the 64th minute in a left forward position but was unable to make the breakthrough on a wet evening in North-West London.

With senior players rested or recovering from injuries, City manager Pep Guardiola fielded an unfamiliar line-up with five academy starlets in his squad and Sam Edozie and Cole Palmer starting.

Leicester, who suffered a major blow earlier in midweek when French defender Wesley Fofana broke his leg in a friendly, were close to full strength with evergreen striker Jamie Vardy up front.

Vardy, 34, came closest to scoring in the first half when a hooked shot was pushed onto the post by goalkeeper Zack Steffen just before the break.

Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel also tipped a dangerously dipping Ilkay Gundogan free kick over the bar in the seventh minute.

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(Published 08 August 2021, 02:08 IST)