Revived Women's Community Shield to take place before men's match
Chelsea will take on Manchester City in the first Women’s Community Shield since 2008 with the game taking place before the men’s match at Wembley on 29 August and broadcast by the BBC.
With the 2020 edition of the Women’s FA Cup set to be concluded on 31 October, City, who beat West Ham in the 2019 final, will step in as current holders of the FA Cup. In June Chelsea were awarded the Women’s Super League title on a points-per-game basis after the league was called to a halt in May. At the time that play stopped, City were one point ahead but had played a game more.
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Kick-off times and other details for the Community Shield, which will mark the return of women’s football in England, are still being finalised with an official announcement expected this week or early next week.
The game will be broadcast live on BBC One and is set to take place behind closed doors. The Women’s Super League and Championship seasons return on the weekend of 5-6 September.
Arsenal lifted the last Women’s Community Shield in 2008 when they beat Everton 1-0, the Gunners’ fifth victory in the fixture which included one shared with Charlton following a draw in the first match in 2000.
Women’s football has been on hold since the League Cup final on 29 February because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Women’s Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will offer the first competitive football for WSL followers since then with Arsenal set to face Paris Saint-Germain on 22 August. The day before, the Scottish champions Glasgow City play the German champions Wolfsburg in their quarter-final, with the final being played the day after the Community Shield on 30 August.
