ARSENAL 1, CHELSEA 1
(Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties)
FA Cup winners Arsenal captured the first piece of silverware of the new campaign with victory against champions Chelsea in the FA Community Shield at Wembley.
The gritty Gunners, accused in the past of being flaky and lacking steel, displayed resolve to battle back from behind to win a penalty shootout.
Seventy one days after Arsenal and Chelsea, two of the Manchester clubs’ title rivals, met in the final of the FA Cup than they were doing battle again.
And on the evidence of this match, don’t discount either for being in the title mix in nine months’ time along with the two clubs from Manchester.
There were a number of high-profile absentees as Arsenal were without Alexis Sanchez, Mezut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Laurent Koscielny while Chelsea lacked Edin Hazard, new-signing Tiemoue Bakayoko and the want-away Diego Costa.
It was a game that in the early stages lacked the passion and intensity of the cup final in what, after all, is a glorified friendly, though a trophy was at stake.
And that was mirrored in a low-key opening in which there was little meaningful action.
Arsenal had a great chance to take the lead midway through the opening period when new £52million signing Alexandre Lacazette struck the upright from the edge of the box after a fine inter-change of passes with Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea, with new Spanish striker Alvaro Morata on the bench, were hardly threatening either as it took 35 minutes before Arsenal keeper Petr Cech had a serious shot to save as he beat out a fierce shot from Pedro.
There was a more purposeful start to the second period as Chelsea made the breakthrough in the 46th minutes through Moses.
A corner from Cesc Fabregas was cleared but only as far as Gary Cahill whose header looped over the Gunners’ defence for Moses to ghost in to slot home.
Chelsea remained in control and rarely threatened, though keeper Thibaut Courtois pulled off a fine, flying fingertip save to keep out a 35-yard drive from Granit Xhaka with 14 minutes left.
Referee Bobby Madley was at the centre of controversy 10 minutes from time when he sent of Pedro for a lunging challenge on Mohamed Elneny.
And from the resulting free kick, Sead Kolasinac glanced home a header. The centre back, a free summer signing from German Bundesliga side Schalke in the summer, glanced home a header.
Morata had a chance to cover himself in glory after appearing from the bench, but in stoppage time headed wide from a free kick while well placed.
Arsenal proved masters from 12 yards in the new ABBA format shootout as they scored all four spot kicks while Chelsea keeper Courtois blazed over and new-boy Morata struck the outside of the upright with substitute Olivier Giroud scoring the decisive kick as Arsene Wenger, under so much pressure last season for failing to qualify for the Champions League, won his second trophy in 71 days.