Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Date, Time, TV Info, Preview, and More

Defending English Premier League champions Manchester City will take on Chelsea, the FA Cup holder, on Sunday in the match for the Community Shield.

City is looking to repeat its success from the 2011-2012 season, and the team will look to make a statement against Chelsea. A win in this game would send a message that the team is ready to continue dominating in the EPL.

The Sky Blues lost to Manchester United in the Community Shield last year, and it was a late goal that decided the game.

The team won the league title last season in the most fascinating way possible when it scored two goals in stoppage time. 

This will mark Chelsea's sixth appearance in the game since 2005, but they have only won two of the five previous appearances.

While Chelsea is not the defending EPL champion, they earned a spot in this game by winning the FA Cup. The team is in a transition period as they go through roster changes.

Didier Drgoba, who scored the winning penalty kick in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich earlier this year, is no longer with the team. The speedster Fernando Torres will need to replace Drogba's scoring, and he will get better as the season goes on.  

Torres has the potential to be a very good player, but he still needs to get in a groove with the team. 

Manchester City's roster is very similar to the team that won the EPL title last season, but Chelsea is going through changes. Although teams are still making changes to their roster, this game will set the stage for the rest of the season.

These two clubs met back in March, and the Sky Blues came away with a 2-1 victory. After roster moves in the offseason, both teams will find out how prepared their teams are.

If Chelsea wants to win, they need to come out strong early. The team can't play conservatively at the beginning because City can outlast them. A quick goal by Chelsea would give them a boost in confidence, and it would set the tone for the rest of the game.

The match will be played at Villa Park in England because Wembley is being used for the Olympics. The last time the game was held at Villa Park was 1972, which is significant for the Sky Blues. City won the Community Shield that year, so history is on the team's side. It has been thirty years since the game was played at this venue, and the past will not have an impact in this match.

Expectations are much higher for Manchester City this season, but Chelsea needs a good showing to gain confidence. Losing a player like Drogba is tough to move on from, but they need to see how their players perform on their own.

Game Information

Teams: Manchester City (EPL champions) and Chelsea (FA Cup holders)

Date: Sunday, August 12th, 2012

Time: 1:30 BST/8:30 EST

Venue: Villa Park

TV: Fox Soccer Channel