Arsenal strike the perfect note in new ABBA system Bad omen for Gunners
The winners took it all at Wembley but only after the English game witnessed the new ‘ABBA’ system for penalty shootouts for the first time. The spoils amounted to no more than the Community Shield but Arsenal’s unbridled celebrations spoke volumes as to how much it meant to Arsene Wenger as he prepares to firefight his way through another long campaign.
Antonio Conte’s body language was also revealing. The champions’ manager cut an unhappy figure in defeat on the touchline as he raged against a series of perceived injustices. The crackerjack Italian said last week that he wanted to avoid a “Mourinho season” – Jose Mourinho having been sacked a few short months after bringing the Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge – but it has started that way. Two years ago, Mourinho lost the Community Shield. To Arsenal. By December he was gone.
That is the doomsday scenario and, of course, far, far too much can be read into this feisty game where ring-rust remained, squads still need to be finalised, players were at different levels of fitness and many key performers were on the bench, in the stands or absent entirely.
Maybe there were four expected starters absent apiece. Arsenal missed Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey – both also injury doubts for the first league match at home to Leicester City on Friday – as well as Laurent Koscielny and the unsettled Alexis Sanchez, who, nevertheless, joined the cavorting at the end.
Chelsea had no Diego Costa, on his extended holiday-exile, no Eden Hazard and no Tiemoue Bakayoko, while both Alvaro Morata and Antonio Rudiger started on the bench. Both came on – and made inauspicious starts, with Morata, the record signing, missing the target from the spot in the shootout, as did goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while Rudiger was caught out as Arsenal forced the late equaliser. Chelsea’s sense of angst was heightened by the scorer’s identity: Sead Kolasinac, whom they tried to sign last January.
The defender’s headed goal came with Chelsea down to 10 men, and Conte’s anger will be fuelled by that sense of grievance – he really must feel fate is conspiring against him as he fulminates over the club’s transfer dealings – with Pedro sent off and Willian booked for diving when it could be argued he should have had a penalty.
Conte did not hold back in his complaints about referee Bobby Madley, making the point that it was the second Wembley match in a row against Arsenal that Chelsea had finished with 10 men after Victor Moses was sent off during last May’s FA Cup final. There could be no dispute, however, over that dismissal – Moses received a second yellow card for diving – while, here, Pedro raked his studs down the back of Mohamed Elneny’s calf.
It was from the free-kick, taken by Granit Xhaka, that Kolasinac, who was not tracked by Rudiger powered a close-range header past Courtois. Until then, it appeared that Arsenal would be Arsenalesque – playing well, creating chances, hitting a post through their record signing, Alexandre Lacazette, who looked lively on the rare occasions he managed to break clear of David Luiz’s shackles – before they conceded a soft goal.
That came early in the second half with Xhaka ballooning the ball into the air, then reacting slowly as it dropped. Gary Cahill’s header was latched on to by Moses, who stole ahead of Rob Holding to chest down and side-foot home before celebrated with a swallow dive – a reminder of that red card 71 days ago. Community Shield winners have not gone on to win the Premier League since Manchester United claimed the title in 2010/11.
By then, Arsenal had lost Per Mertesacker with a cut to his head and, with Koscielny out and Shkodran Mustafi only just returning to training after the Confederations Cup, they were left with only 21-year-old Holding as a recognised central defender. Cue more questions, then, over Arsenal’s soft centre. But it helps when you have a replacement whose nickname is ‘The Tank’ and Kolasinac certainly has some rugged qualities.
Not that anyone can accuse Arsenal of not playing attractive football. In the opening quarter Lacazette, Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck combined as an athletic, quick front three. It culminated in a move initiated and ended by Lacazette, who found Hector Bellerin who returned the ball to the striker who then exchanged passes with Welbeck before bending his rightfoot shot around Cahill, only for the ball to cannon back off a post.
Mertesacker’s departure unsettled Arsenal and after Pedro stung Peter Cech’s palms there came the penalty incident as Bellerin challenged Willian, his knee catching the Brazilian, who also appeared to clip himself, before he hit the turf. Was it a penalty? Was it a dive? Maybe it was neither, but Willian was punished, as were Chelsea when Pedro was dismissed and Arsenal capitalised.
There was no extra time. Instead, it went straight to penalties under the ‘ABBA’ system – with the teams alternating the ‘first’ penalty – and Arsenal converted all four of their spot kicks as Chelsea missed twice.
Substitute Olivier Giroud converted the decisive kick, which sparked the celebrations. As ever with Arsenal it left them open to the accusation of making too much out of limited success but the manner of this win, a comeback against the champions, more than the win itself, will feel important.
1. Gary Cahill
4. Thibaut Courtois
5. Alvaro Morata
2. Theo Walcott
3. Nacho Monreal 7. Olivier Giroud