The Best Community Shield Games of All Time - Ranked

The Community Shield tends to divide opinion. Some claim it's something worth winning, while others believe that it's a meaningless fixture which serves only to give players match fitness before the new season. Which side you're on often depends on whether your team has won it or not.

Nonetheless, it can still throw out some incredible matches. We've seen fierce rivalries, comebacks, underdog stories - the lot.

Ahead of Saturday's clash between Arsenal and Liverpool, here are five of the best Community Shield games of all time.

5. Amateurs 6-3 Professionals (1926)

Nowadays, being called an 'amateur' may be seen as an insult. Back in 1926, it was more complimentary.

From 1923 to 1926, the Charity Shield was contested between paid professional footballers, and unpaid amateurs. While the Professionals side had several players from First Division clubs, the Amateurs XI's highest ranked player was from Third Division Millwall.

However, this was no issue for the underdogs, who came away from the game as 6-3 winners. St. Albans City forward Wilfred Minter bagged a brace, as did Kingstonian's Frank Macey. Millwall centre-back Billy Bryant described Macey's performance as "the finest exposition of inside forward play I have ever seen".

So, whenever you find yourself in a David and Goliath situation, take some inspiration from the Amateurs of 1926.

4. Manchester City 6-1 West Bromwich Albion (1968)

Who said Man City didn't exist before 2008, eh?

Bobby Owen made his debut for the Sky Blues, and could hardly have made a better start. The forward opened the scoring in the first minute - with his first touch in a City shirt, no less.

An own goal by Graham Lovett put Man City 2-0 up, before a brilliantly worked free kick allowed Francis Lee to get on the scoresheet. Legendary commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme described Lee's goal as "football perfection".

Dick Krzywicki gave the Baggies some hope just before the break, but a ruthless second-half performance saw City net another three, with Owen and Lee both getting braces.

The 6-1 victory is still to this day the joint-highest winning margin in Charity Shield history.

3. Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United (2011)

Without a doubt the best Community Shield game of the modern era came in 2011, when Man Utd pulled off a terrific comeback to beat their bitter rivals.

Joleon Lescott headed home a David Silva free kick to give Roberto Mancini's side the lead, and Edin Dzeko made it 2-0 just before the break with a long range strike.

Chris Smalling diverted Ashley Young's set piece past Joe Hart to halve the deficit shortly after half time, before a brilliant Man Utd team goal lit up the game.

English trio Wayne Rooney, Tom Cleverley, and Danny Welbeck combined, before Cleverley laid the ball into the path of Portuguese winger Nani to lift over Hart to equalise.

And the former Sporting CP man would end up being the hero. In the fourth minute of injury time, Nani capitalised on a mix-up between Vincent Kompany and Gael Clichy, raced through on goal, rounded the goalkeeper, and slotted into an empty net.

2. Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-4 West Bromwich Albion (1954)

It was a Black Country derby in the 1954 final, as league champions Wolves took on FA Cup winners West Brom. And it didn't disappoint.

Wolves legend Roy Swinbourne netted in the 12th minute - a lead which was doubled by Norman Deeley just after half-time. However, a quick-fire brace from Albion's second all time top goalscorer Ronnie Allen levelled things up 11 minutes later.

Swinbourne grabbed his second and Wolves' third, before Johnny Hancocks restored their two-goal lead to seemingly put the game beyond West Brom.

However, the Baggies did not surrender so easily. Reg Ryan bagged in the 77th minute to put the pressure on, then Allen completed his hat-trick to seal another fine comeback.

The game ended 4-4, with both sides sharing the Charity Shield. How sweet.

1. Leeds United 4-3 Liverpool (1992)

Top of the list is the enthralling encounter between Leeds and Liverpool in 1992.

Off the back of their First Division title, Howard Wilkinson's Leeds took the lead when Eric Cantona slammed in from Rodney Wallace's cutback. The lead only lasted eight minutes, however, as Liverpool's all time top scorer Ian Rush headed home for Graeme Souness' side.

Both teams were the beneficiaries of huge slices of luck either side of half-time. The Yorkshire club retook the lead when Tony Dorigo's deflected free kick nestled into the bottom corner, before Mark Walters' shot bounced kindly for Dean Saunders to equalise.

With 13 minutes remaining, Cantona turned on the style, first smacking in his second to make it 3-2, then wrapping up his hat-trick after a mistake by Liverpool stopper Bruce Grobbelaar gave the Frenchman an open goal.

A rather comical 89th-minute own goal from Gordon Strachan gave the Reds hope late on, but Leeds held out for the victory.

Cantona became the first player to score a hat-trick in a Charity Shield match since 1957. Whatever happened to him?