FA Community Shield, Chelsea 0-2 Manchester City: 3 Key Battles that decided the game

#1 Sergio Aguero vs Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz

Aguero was clinical and took full advantage of Chelsea's defensive anomalies

Just like we all expected, Maurizio Sarri decided to go with Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz at the heart of the Chelsea defence and things did not go according to the script for the Italian in his first competitive game in charge of the West London outfit.

The understanding between the two centre-halves was almost non-existent for the majority of the game and the ill-effects of the partnership became blatantly evident when Chelsea conceded both their goals.

Sergio Aguero punished the duo for their careless approach with two well-taken goals on either side of half-time to put the game beyond any doubt. In the build-up to the first goal, Rudiger was comprehensively wrong-footed. It allowed Aguero to dispatch a neat finish into the far corner. For the second goal, Luiz switched off for a few good seconds to allow the Argentine to make a decisive run in behind him to bag a deserving brace.

Perhaps the biggest evidence of Luiz and Rudiger not being on the same wavelength came to light in the second half when Aguero was allowed a clear route on goal, which he luckily squandered, due to the confusion that emerged out of trying to play a high-line against the attacking onslaught from City.