MANCHESTER CITY sent a warning to the rest of the Premier League by defeating Chelsea to lift the Community Shield.
Roberto Mancini sent his City troops into battle at Villa Park buoyed by the news that Everton had accepted an undisclosed offer for midfielder Jack Rodwell.
The league champions did not have everyhing their own way in the first half and found themselves trailing to a 40th-minute Fernando Torres strike.
But they were handed an advantage three minutes before the break when Branislav Ivanovic was shown a straight red by referee Kevin Friend.
And City stormed back into the game with second-half goals from Yaya Toure, Carlos Tevez and Samir Nasri to move closer to their first Shield triumph since 1972.
Subsititute Ryan Bertrand pulled one back for the Blues 10 minutes from time but there was to be no denying Mancini his first silverware of the season.
The community aspect of this game was missing from the first whistle as friends struggled to keep control.
Stefan Savic was booked after 10 minutes, which set the scene for a niggly opening period in which both sides were guilty of going too far at times.
Ivanovic was the worst offender. Forced to challenge for a stray John Terry pass, the Serbian slid straight into countryman Aleksandar Kolarov with studs raised.
It was not two-footed, but it was dangerous.
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