Arsenal wins Shield via perfect penalties
LONDON— Arsenal will start the Premier League season on a high note after mastering the experimental ABBA penalty shootout pattern to beat Chelsea to the Community Shield.
Wembley Stadium provided the biggest stage yet for global trials with the format that mixes up the order of penalties rather than spot-kicks alternating between teams A and B.
The long-standing system was deemed by soccer’s lawmaking body to be handing an unfair advantage to the team going first. And going second in the rejigged shootout, Arsenal overwhelmed Chelsea 4-1 to win the traditional curtain raiser to the English season after the match was locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes.
“We showed great composure to come back to the game,” Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech said, “then it is penalties and who keeps their cool better.”
Only six penalties were required between Premier League champion Chelsea and FA Cup holder Arsenal.
Gary Cahill got Chelsea off to a perfect start before Theo Walcott and Nacho Monreal responded by finding the target for Arsenal. But Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois blazed his kick over the crossbar followed by striker Alvaro Morata also missing.
Arsenal duo Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud then converted their kicks in succession to ensure the north London club started the new season just as it finished the last one — by beating Chelsea at Wembley.
Just like in the FA Cup final, Chelsea was reduced to 10 men.
Victor Moses, who was sent off in the May showpiece, made amends this time by putting Chelsea in front a minute into the second half by getting on the end of Cahill’s header. “Even though we were 1-0 down we didn’t panic and kept control of our game and came back,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Arsenal gained a man advantage with 10 minutes to go when Pedro Rodriguez, wearing a mask after being injured on Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Asia, was dismissed for a studs-up sliding challenge on Mohamed Elneny.
It proved even costlier when the resulting free kick by Granit Xhaka was headed in by new defensive signing Sead Kolasinac, sending the game into the shootout.
The result added to the uneasy atmosphere around Chelsea since winning the title, with uncertainty and rancour surrounding the future of striker Diego Costa, who is up for sale and didn’t play at Wembley.
Asked about Costa, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte replied: “I have already replied to this question.”
Chelsea opens its title defence against Burnley on Saturday.
Arsenal play Leicester on Friday as Wenger chases a first league title since 2004, with his team out of the Champions League after finishing fifth last season.