THE SHARPE END: Oscar Bobb hopes for more game time for Man City after his stirring performance in the Community Shield… while stats suggest United are making progress

“Will we be seeing more of you this season?” the TV interviewer asked Oscar Bobb after Manchester City’s Community Shield win on Saturday.

“I hope so,” was the answer.

You would think so, given this performance and the departure of Julian Alvarez.

The City youngster had the most possession of any City attacker against Manchester United.

Bobb also created most of the chances and set up Bernardo Silva for the equaliser.

Oscar Bobb (right) dribbles past Kobbie Mainoo during Saturday’s match at Wembley

This is Bobb’s touch map from his very busy and impressive outing in the Community Shield

Bobb (right) poses with the Community Shield alongside (left to right) Nico O’Reilly, Rico Lewis, James McAtee

It was United, three months ago, who came out on top in the FA Cup final. Not here.

And yet the performance of Erik ten Hag’s team, albeit in a polished friendly, was much closer to City’s level than the last time they met at Wembley.

None of this really matters, of course. City’s victory won’t determine whether Pep Guardiola wins five titles in a row.

History shows that this rarely happens. Only one of the last 13 Community Shield winners has gone on to lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the season (that was City, by the way).

In fact, only eight teams have won the Community Shield and league double in the Premier League’s 32 years: Man City (2018-19), Man Utd (1993-94, 1996-97, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11), Chelsea (2005-06, 2009-10)

Match statistics from last season’s FA Cup final (left) and Saturday’s Community Shield (right) suggest United actually performed better this time around, despite the result

Only once in the last 13 seasons has the winner of the Community Shield gone on to win the competition

City’s victory marks the fifth time in the last eight years that the Community Shield has been decided on penalties.

City’s battle to retain the Premier League title begins next Sunday at Chelsea.