Arsenal won their first trophy of the season by beating Chelsea and claiming the Community Sheild. While this title will not mean much to either team, this win will give the North Londoners some confidence as they head into the new English Premier League season.
Match summary
The game started off at a slow pace as neither side managed to create any major chances in the first 45 minutes of the game. Both sets of players seemed to be cautious, and this led to a very dull and boring first half. The second half started in a much different manner with Chelsea winger, Victor Moses, shooting from distance to give the West London side the lead.
Following this goal, it seemed that the West Londoners were going to win this game with ease but with 10 minutes left in regulation time, Chelsea winger, Pedro got sent off.
This red card allowed the Gunners to get back into the game and they did so by equalizing in the 82nd minute of the game. The goal came from a header by the Arsenal defender, Sead Kolasinac. The game ended 1-1 after regulation time, and as a result, the game went to extra time. There were no more goals in the extra period meaning that a penalty shoot-out would decide the game. Arsenal was flawless in the penalty shoot-out as they won 4-1.
Analysis of Arsenal's performance
Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi were the best players for Arsenal in this game.
The pair of strikers worked well together, causing many problems for the Chelsea defense. In addition to this, Rob Holding and Nacho Monreal also played exceptionally well. These two defenders ensured that Chelsea would not score more than one goal and this played a big role in ensuring that Arsenal would win the title. While the defenders and the attackers played well for Arsenal, their midfield looked very weak.
The midfielders failed to control the ball, and this prevented the Gunners from making more attacking plays.
Analysis of Chelsea's Performance
Chelsea played well as a team. Their midfield looked solid with the likes of Fabregas and Kante controlling the game. The defense also looked very strong with Brazilian defender, David Luiz, having a great game.
Having said that, the Chelsea attack looked a little weak. The likes of Willian, Pedro and Michy Batshuayi failed to score many chances, and this was a big factor in Chelsea failing to win this game. While this loss is disappointing for the club, the team will be optimistic that they can improve as the season continues.
