Arsenal take on Chelsea at Wembley Stadium this afternoon
Arsenal and Chelsea go head-to-head this afternoon at Wembley Stadium in the season opener as they battle it out for the Community Shield.
Albeit a friendly and not a real major trophy, both teams will be wanting victory over their London rivals as it sets a good benchmark for the season ahead.
Arsenal were victors in last year’s tie against Manchester City as they eased past the Premier League champions 3-0 thanks to goals from Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud.
The Gunners are at Wembley yet again after they successfully retained the FA Cup this season thanks to thrashing Aston Villa 4-0 back in May.
Arsenal vs Chelsea
However, Jose Mourinho‘s Chelsea may prove a tougher test for Arsene Wenger and co.
It’s well documented that Wenger is yet to beat Mourinho so if you were a betting man, you’d put your money on a Chelsea victory, but it will all depend on what teams the managers play.
With it often being referred to as a friendly, some teams use the Community Shield to test out new formations or give younger players a chance.
However, with the Premier League campaign kicking off next weekend, it’s expected both teams will be fairly strong.
Pre-Season So Far
Arsenal have had a fruitful pre-season so far, winning all their matches against Singapore XI, Everton, Lyon and Wolfsburg, whilst Chelsea have also had a good tour of America, beating Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona.
However, both those games were decided via a penalty shoot-out, and they did lose 4-2 to New York Red Bulls during their first game.
Both sides will be wanting to start the new campaign with a victory and a trophy, but only one can leave with the shield.
Who’s your money on?
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
