Manchester United – Arsenal

*It's what Elton John is singing for a certain broadcaster's promotional trailer for the new season, by the way. We're not sure either.

Are you ready for love?* Probably not, but you might be ready for our Live Commentary of the Big Two clashing at Cardiff in the curtain-raiser for next week's Premiership kick-off. 2pm UK time on Sunday.

In a game tinged by the sadness of the death of Jimmy Davis, Manchester United give Tim Howard his first bow in English football.

Roy Keane, perhaps not so ready for love when it comes to facing Patrick Vieira, celebrates his 32nd birthday.

Arsenal pick Thierry Henry, against most expectations while Kolo Toure is fielded at centre-back in Arsene Wenger's continued experiment.

Solskjaer is given the right-wing detail that he finished last season. The previous occupant is playing in Thailand at the moment.

Arsenal, wearing an extremely garish kit indeed, seem to be short of followers. Plenty of empty spaces in their end. United, as ever, have all but sold out their allocation.

A series of announcements from the sponsors and a quietish version of the national anthem.

Man Utd: Howard, Phil Neville, Ferdinand, Keane, Silvestre, Solskjaer, Butt, Fortune, Giggs, Scholes, van Nistelrooy. Arsenal: Lehmann, Lauren, Cole, Campbell, Toure, Parlour, Ljungberg, Silva, Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp.

Temperatures of over 100 degrees will make it a tetchy affair one thinks.

A minute's silence is observed for Jimmy Davis and Ray Harford, who both died yesterday.

Arsenal take the kick-off. Henry to Bergkamp...

Vieira gets an early touch only to swing rather too easily. He then receives a clattering from Phil Neville. Yellow to him.

Not much pace in the game - it's too hot for that.

Ashley Cole goes in on Nicky Butt and gets a yellow too.

Neville forces a throw-in. Arsenal get it clear to Mikael Silvestre.

Long ball to Gilberto. He loops it in and Howard claims with ease. A nice first touch.

Neville and Solskjaer fail to link up. Fortune and Silvestre link up well too.

A poor Nicky Butt pass misses Solskjaer. He's then muscled out by Campbell as he chases down into the corner.

A cross from Henry floats across goal but no takers.

Van Nistelrooy is neat in finding Giggs. But Arsenal get it and go long for Henry. Ferdinand concedes a corner.

Great catch from Howard as the corner comes in. Long ball for Van Nistelrooy but Lehmann gets there first.

Toure holds off Van Nistelrooy and is fouled in the process.

Scholes' radar is off when he attempts a long ball.

Henry tries a shot. Howard slipped but it was well wide anyway.

Nice burst from Parlour. Henry's flick is hoofed away by Phil Neville.

Cole muffs a cross. Neither team particularly fluent at the moment.

Great ball from Silvestre to Solskjaer. Cole has to concede a corner.

Giggs takes....flick from Keane. Arsenal static and Silvestre nods home. United 1 Statues 0. Terrible defending from Arsenal.

Arsenal, who have been the better of the sides, still need work on their defence by the looks of that goal.

Ball drifts back to Tim Howard. Butt slides in on Vieira and wins the ball. The Frenchman falls to the ground and wins a free-kick. Poor decision.

Henry takes the kick and smashes a ball round the wall. Howard can't get there to stop its low trajectory. 1-1.

Shades of David Beckham but he's probably finishing up in Thailand as we speak.

Tim Howard may well be disappointed with the wall and his failure to get across to Henry's shot.

Steve Bennet, the ref, helps out Arsenal again when the ball comes off him to put Henry through.

Ashley Cole lashes at Solskjaer with a kick. He's been booked already and should have walked. Bennett favours the Gunners again.

United retain a great deal of possession and choose to keep it. Scholes tackles Ljungberg and United attack again. Giggs nearly created a chance for Solskjaer.

Keane slips and lets in Bergkamp. Howard comes out well to catch it when the Dutchman threatened.

Giggs plays on the edge of the area. Scholes tries to send Van Nistelrooy through. Campbell just gets there.

Fortune makes a great burst. Giggs is outnumbered. Scholes had a chance to create something but could only hit Vieira.

Giggs fails to release Van Nistelrooy, who has lurked with intent all game.

A lull in play as there's a series of throw-ins down the touchline.

The heat definitely a factor. It's baking hot.

Van Nistelrooy attacks. Lehmann clears.

Neville's cross. Giggs' header comes off the post. Van Nistelrooy seizes on the rebound and hits the bar. Arsenal again weak at the back.

An injury to Nicky Butt brings a well-earned drinks break.

Butt is fine. The players are refreshed. A long ball to Ljungberg fails to hit its target.

Keane doesn't have the legs to reach a through-ball from Neville.

Fortune shows good skill in beating Lauren but ran out of room. Giggs and Van Nistelrooy collide in the box when Solskjaer was trying to find them.

Again the play is slow as the heat gets the better of the teams.

Scholes and Fortune link well but Keane, who's been off colour, fluffs a pass to Giggs. Solskjaer forces a corner.

Giggs's cross comes in. Lehmann gets up and stops Silvestre heading in. Again Arsenal vulnerable in the air.

Nice link between Giggs and Van Nistelrooy. Offside given - but Giggs wasn't offside.

Great ball from Silvestre to Solskjaer. He lashes a shot but Lehmann saves. Palmed behind. At the other end Howard has to deal with a corner and he deals with it well.

The last real action of a weary half. United having the better of the chances but the teams are level.

Arsenal make some subs. Wiltord replaces Henry while Romford Pele Parlour comes off for Robert Pires.

United choose to retain the same line-up.

Wiltord gets in the action with a foul on Giggs.

But Giggs gets away. His cross finds Van Nistelrooy who falls before it reaches him. He feels he was baulked.

Corner to Arsenal is hit by Vieira off a United player. The next corner sees Gilberto foul Silvestre.

Wiltord and Pires link up well. But then Pires falls over in theatrical fashion when Butt snaps in. A poor decision again from Bennett.

Keane loses the ball Vieira and then hounds him for 50 yards to win it back. Great stuff from him.

Vieira fouls an onrushing Fortune. And is rightly booked.

Scholes tried to flick the ball back for Van Nistelrooy. Ball is cleared. The ginger one is booked for lashing out at Lauren.

Long ball finds Wiltord offside. Giggs gets in a cross. Ball cleared and Pires breaks. Keane chases back and Pires fires well wide.

Howard stops Ljungberg as he rushes on to goal. A slight fumble but then he takes the iniative well.

Solskjaer charges. He releases Van Nistelrooy. He cuts it back and Solskjaer's shot is charged down.

Giggs gets away but is wasteful when he had reinforcements available.

Fortune is yellow carded for a foul on Ljungberg. Again an Arsenal theatric wins a foul from Bennett.

Jeffers and Edu come on for Arsenal. Djemba Djemba replaces Nicky Butt. Bergkamp and Gilberto similarly vacate.

Djemba's first touch is a great ball. Lehmann clowns around but has to hoof away. Toure puts in a great tackle on Fortune who was charging through.

Solskjaer's free-kick comes in and Keane wins it. Arsenal again slack.

Van Bronckhorst comes on for Ljungberg.

Vieira gets in and wins a free-kick. Pires will take the dead-ball. A five man wall awaits. The ball smashes off to reach Jeffers, who is stopped by Silvestre.

Van Nistelrooy and Scholes fail to link. Arsenal break. Silvestre is again excellent in reading their intentions.

O'Shea replaces the impressive Fortune. He may be feeling the loss of Jimmy Davis as they were contemporaries in United's youth set-up.

Giggs gets away, beats Lehmann but can't get a proper shot in.

Djemba battles hard, and bustles through to get a shot in.

Djemba again impressive in turning and holding off an opponent.

Solskjaer takes a knock off Vieira's tackle. And then Neville and Jeffers clash. The young scouser kicks out at Neville and is rightly sent off. Silly, silly boy.

Neville had won the ball. Jeffers stood on his face and paid the price. That's 50 sending-offs in Arsene Wenger's time at Arsenal - a shameful record.

The Arsenal red mist has descended. United try to cool it down and retain the ball in the heat.

Silvestre cuts in to stop a Pires attack. Djemba is again incisive but comes across the imposing Vieira. Arsenal attack.

Van Bronckhorst fires a shot wide. Howard not unsettled by that effort.

Neville comes off for Forlan. Arsenal fans boo him for his part in the Jeffers incident. United reshuffle. Silvestre goes out left and Keane plays at centre-half.

Djemba gets in a shot. Campbell lashes out. He may be in trouble again.

Campbell seems to escape the attentions of Steve Bennett, whose refereeing performance has been risible. Campbell clearly kicked Djemba.

Cole falls over when Van Nistelrooy shoulder-charged him. Cole gets involved straight away when he baulks Solskjaer.

Van Nistelrooy displays his own theatrics and falls over Lauren after losing the ball to the Cameroon.

Keane and Vieira clash. Keane looks hurt but Vieira is the man on the deck.

Both players recover. Though the ref puts us through the tedious ritual of them having to limp off and come back on again.

Edu and Pires are outnumbered in attack.

Van Nistelrooy gets the ball from a rebound, pirouettes in a Mark Hughes style and fires just over. Great striking from him him.

Pires sprays it wide. Lauren's cross is overhit.

Toure clears a Silvestre cross. Pires goes down under a heavy challenge but Arsenal continue in attack. The ball is cleared and Lehmann sweeps up.

Djemba Djemba gets excited and shoots well wide. He's been impressive today - he could well turn into a crowd favourite.

Vieira fouls Scholes to give United a last chance to launch an assault. Giggs's cross is hacked away.

Wiltord charges on goal as he gets away. Out comes Howard to clear well. Good goalkeeping.

Ninety minutes are up - there'll be penalties.

United will take first in front of their fans. Howard will meet his new public.

A huge delay as there's a mix-up over who drops out of the United line-up of takers after Jeffers was dismissed. Fergie, Fergie sorts them out.

Scholes will take first......Lehmann jigs...and Scholes rips a shot past him.

Edu will face Howard first.....and scores a neat penalty even though T-Ho went the right way.

Rio Ferdinand will take.....and scores a nice, placed shot.

Van Bronckhorst takes now for Arsenal.....and Howard guesses right to save.

Van Nistelrooy takes.....and Lehmann saves....a miracle? Great save. First one in 19 he's missed.

Wiltord.......down the middle as Howard dives to his right.

Solskjaer to take now....and places it under the body of Lehmann....he'll be disappointed.

Lauren will take.....and fools Howard with a neat feint and shot.

Forlan to take.....nerves jangling now....but he takes it well and Lehmann didn't get near it.

Pires now...has to score......and Howard saves to his right. United win 4-3 on penalties and lift the Community Shield. Tim Howard the hero, sportsfans!

A rare treat for United fans - the Community Shield. They rarely win it. And, unlike other clubs, rarely treat it as a major trophy. But they'll enjoy their win - and Tim Howard will perhaps enjoy it the most.