The wait is finally over as yet another pre-season draws to a close and the anticipation of the start of a new campaign is at a fever pitch. Arsenal will play Chelsea in the season-opening FA Community Shield on Sunday, August 6th. Kick off at Wembley Stadium is at 14:00 (2pm) BST.
The 95th edition of the Community Shield, which pips the previous seasons league and cup winners against each other. English Champions Chelsea under the enigmatic Antonio Conte will take on Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal who lifted the FA Cup trophy for a record 13th in May, in a repeat of the 2015 edition which the Gunners won 1-0. History does not seem to favour the Shield winners however. Just six times since the Premier Leagues inception in 1994 and not since Manchester United in 2010 have the Community Shield champions gone on to claim the subsequent Premier League crown the following season.
Antonio Conte led the Blues back to the summit of English Football in some style last season. A change in formation to a back-three midway through the season, they soon reached the top and never looked down. The form of frontman Diego Costa, the protection at the back from Gary Cahill and all held together by the midfield maestro and Player of the Season Ngolo Kante. Champions need continuity and Conte knows this having won three consecutive Serie A titles in Italy with Juventus. Costa looks to be on his way out, and Conte has turned to a player whom he signed for the Old Lady back in 2014, Alvaro Morata. The 70-million-pound acquisition is expected to have a starring role in Conte’s squad although he faces an enormous task to usurp Michy Batshuayi this weekend, a 32-million pound signing from Marseille last summer, who is expected to start Sunday’s clash. He has been bang in form in pre-season scoring five goals and laying on a further three assists.
Despite finishing outside the top four and missing out on Champions League football for the first time in his reign at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger was handed a new two-year contract after winning the FA Cup for the seventh time since he joined the club, beating this weekend’s opponents, Chelsea, in the process as goals from Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey secured a 2-1 win and denied Antonio Conte a glorious league and cup double in his debut season. Club-record summer signing Alexandre Lacazette is expected to feature having netted twice already in the off-season since joining from Lyon in France while left-back Sead Kolasinac is expected to start having turned in impressive performances early on in his Gunners career. This will be the 191st meeting between two of London’s elite clubs.
Arsenal vs Chelsea head-to-head:
Games Played: 190
Arsenal Wins: 74
Drawn Games: 54
Chelsea Wins: 62
Last 5 matches - ARS VS CHE:
27/05/2017 – Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea - FA Cup Final
04/02/2017 – Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal – Premier League
24/09/2016 – Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea – Premier League
24/01/2016 – Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea – Premier League
19/09/2015 – Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal – Premier League