Declan Rice intercepted the ball, and Leeds United launched a quick counterattack.
Bruno Fernandes made a diagonal pass to the right wing, and Sancho sprinted forward.
The counterattack was lightning fast, but Manchester City's defense recovered quickly as well.
Boateng and Mendy were both back.
Let's see how Sancho handles this...
He charged into the right side of the penalty area and, without waiting for Boateng to close in, took a direct shot!
Goal!
Sancho! It's Sancho again!
In the 68th minute, Leeds United overturned Manchester City with a score of 2-1!
Sancho, with a goal and an assist, had left a deep impression on everyone.
It had to be said that Sancho was the most surprising player for Leeds today. At the end of the first half, he had single-handedly dribbled into City's defensive zone, caused chaos, and assisted Vardy.
Now it was Sancho again, breaking into the box and scoring with a clean finish to turn the game around.
This was Leeds United!
When the world thought Leeds' strength would drop significantly after selling 10 key players in a single summer, what happened instead was that Leeds' players kept emerging like mushrooms after rain.
2-1. Leeds United had overturned Manchester City!
... As the Leeds players rushed to the stands and celebrated wildly, Gao Shen and the others on the sidelines stood up like the fans to cheer.
Even Ferguson and Wenger had to admit that Leeds' ability to produce stars was simply extraordinary.
"Honestly, what exactly did you do? Where did you dig up so many players?" Wenger shook his head, frustrated.
If Arsenal had unearthed talent like Leeds, how could they have fallen to being a round of sixteen team in the Champions League and obsessed with finishing top four?
Borrell glanced at Gao Shen, hesitated briefly, then smiled mysteriously. "It's a secret."
Ferguson and Wenger exchanged looks, knowing the reason full well.
Gao Shen's scouting network and system at Leeds were indeed miraculous. Many of his ideas were more advanced than modern football, but that wasn't the main reason why Leeds had so many young talents.
After all, Gao Shen's reputation had been well-known since the day he took over Leeds.
In fact, when he first started, the most talked-about moment was his trip to Real Madrid's youth academy, where he discovered over a dozen youngsters in one go, nearly all of whom became Spanish internationals.
Who had seen anything crazier than that?
"Sir, what do you think of Sancho's playing style? How would you set up the tactics?" Gao Shen chuckled, changing the subject.
If they kept digging, his identity as a transmigrator might really be exposed.
Ferguson and Wenger exchanged amused glances.
This little rascal was testing them.
And rightly so. As consultants on his payroll, they had to contribute.
"In the Premier League, wing impact is very important, but clearly, Sancho isn't that kind of traditional attacking winger. In your squad, you've got Achraf Hakimi and Reece James, both very aggressive right-backs. The answer is obvious."
"Looking deeper, Valverde is also a very attack-minded player. I remember back when you were at Real Madrid, you used Di María to drift wide and receive the ball, drawing attention, while Modrić and Carvajal overlapped to attack. That worked very well."
"This thinking can be applied to the current Leeds setup. Use Valverde and the right-back's attacking presence to create a right-sided corridor, allowing Sancho to fully utilize his strengths."
Gao Shen, Lucas, and Borrell all burst into laughter.
These veterans really were sharp, instantly identifying the key and coming up with a solution.
"From a squad-building perspective, Vardy as a center-forward is no longer quite suitable. A taller striker like Haaland or Rashford would be better, as they can hold off defenders," Wenger followed up.
The role of a tall striker was very clear and would only become more important.
When a tall center-forward could hold the ball and withstand challenges from defenders, it was like opening an umbrella, creating more space for teammates behind him. Otherwise, if your striker couldn't hold up play, your whole attack would collapse.
This issue had already shown up in the first half. Vardy couldn't hold off City's defenders, which made Leeds' offense look strong but not very threatening in reality.
"On the left, Pochettino using Grealish is clearly meant to provide support. The effect isn't ideal, but I think it's worth trying. Bruno Fernandes has strong late-attacking runs, and with continued integration, this setup could become dangerous."
"Of course, Vinicius can also do well on that side. But for now, the more crucial question is, can Declan Rice become a stable deep-lying playmaker? Can he be a reliable passing outlet?"
"Yes!" Ferguson immediately agreed. "This point is very important. Neither Bruno Fernandes nor Valverde is suited for this. Rice, as a receiver in buildup play, can be a strong support for the offense."
In simple terms, when the front line couldn't push forward and players like Sancho couldn't find a forward pass, could Rice show up as a back-pass option?
And after receiving the ball, could he reorganize and push the play forward again?
"From the current data, Rice's passing success rate is a bit low, but we're helping him improve. He has the ability, and we have full confidence in him. Tchouaméni as well."
Speaking of this, Ferguson and Wenger both looked a little frustrated again.
Yes, besides Rice, Leeds had also promoted Tchouaméni.
How to put it?
Players like Tchouaméni, you could tell at a glance he was destined for the game.
"Honestly, with your current squad, after two seasons of polishing, as long as there are no major accidents—no, even if there aren't large-scale setbacks—this group will bring you titles again," Ferguson said, clearly envious.
Wenger fully agreed.
Gao Shen, Lucas, and Borrell looked at each other and laughed together...
In the 82nd minute of the second half, Sancho once again received the ball on the right flank about 30 meters from goal. As he tried to shake off substitute Gareth Bale, the Welshman fouled him.
The referee, with sharp eyes, awarded a free-kick in the attacking third to Leeds.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up and delivered a precise ball into the heart of the penalty area.
Substitute striker Haaland, Militão, Tchouaméni, and others all rushed the near post, challenging for the ball, but Jérôme Boateng got there first and headed it away.
However, the clearance lacked distance and instead dropped toward the far post.
It didn't look like a clearance, more like a flick-on.
Ruben Dias received it at the far post, chesting it down. As De Bruyne came to close down, Dias cleverly nudged the ball back into the center of the six-yard box.
Haaland and others were already swarming there, scrambling for the ball again.
Finally, Militão, using his arms to hold off Stones, leapt up and headed the ball firmly into the right side of the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"Militão!"
"3-1!"
"Leeds United overturns Manchester City!"
"My God, this is a thunderclap ahead of the new season!"
"When the whole world was waiting for Leeds to collapse, this White Rose has delivered a stunning performance. Whether it was in the International Champions Cup or today's Community Shield, Leeds' performance has been remarkable."
"Especially these young players!"
"This is the identity of Leeds United!"
... The Community Shield ended 3-1.
Leeds United, with a goal and assist from Sancho and goals from Vardy and Militão, came from behind to beat Manchester City.
After the match, the young Sancho was named Man of the Match.
As soon as the game ended, the football world was in an uproar.
The entire English football scene was stunned by Leeds' comeback. No one had expected that after selling 10 key players, this Leeds side could still perform like this.
The Guardian even posed a sharp question, "Could it be that Leeds United's youth academy is a factory mass-producing geniuses on an assembly line?"
Otherwise, how could you explain that Leeds keeps selling stars, yet new ones keep emerging?
Last season, with Mbappé and Dembélé around, Sancho's performances, while good, weren't as eye-catching.
But now, with those two gone, Sancho had immediately stepped into the spotlight.
There was only one explanation. After Mbappé and Dembélé left, Sancho's tactical authority increased, and the team began tailoring their tactics around him, allowing him to show his strengths.
Veteran captain Vardy even said in a post-match interview, "Jadon and Declan both have the potential to become top stars. They're the future of English football!"
Head coach Pochettino also praised Sancho's performance, while not forgetting to acknowledge the contributions of the entire squad.
Leeds United is a team, and every player is a part of that collective.
What was somewhat surprising was that after the Community Shield, reporters interviewed Ferguson and Wenger.
Both praised the match, believing that although City lost the Community Shield, they remained strong contenders for the Premier League title.
"In the past, didn't we always talk about the Community Shield curse?" Ferguson joked.
But he firmly believed the outside world was underestimating Leeds.
"Maybe it's a bit early to say this, but I think the media and fans are underestimating Leeds United. From this match, it's clear this team is still very competitive."
"In fact, I think Leeds will be the most surprising team in the Premier League this season."
Wenger agreed completely.
But in truth, even they had underestimated the storm that this group of Leeds United youngsters would unleash.
(To be continued.)