Chelsea 1-1 (1-4 on pens) Arsenal
Did you bet online on such drama?
No? Why ever not, sports betting fans? Because the Community Shield pre-match betting odds always suggested you should have done.
After all, these two clubs have history and much of it is recent.
There was enough in the 90 minutes of this traditional curtain raiser to suggest they rarely face each other in a friendly environment. And a penalty shoot-out to decide the early season showpiece, after the sides had drawn 1-1, was always going to add to the drama.
The new ABBA format – nothing to do with the Swedish pop group incidentally – was used in a top flight game for the first time and that only provided further intrigue.
For those who don’t know, that’s when one team goes first in the shoot-out before their opponents take two spot-kicks in succession.
Arsenal enjoyed it far more, scoring all four of their penalties to win 4-1 in the shoot-out after skipper Gary Cahill had initially fired the Blues ahead from 12 yards.
Another Wembley success for Arsenal then just when it seemed there could be some redemption for Victor Moses.
He was one of the unsung heroes in Chelsea’s title triumph last season before his campaign ended on a disappointing note with a red card as his team were denied a league and cup double in the FA Cup Final.
Until the closing stages, he looked to have gained a modicum of revenge with a strike a minute after half-time giving the league champions the lead.
That was before Pedro saw red for a late, although not malicious, tackle on Mohamed Elneny and, from the resulting free-kick a mere 82 seconds later, new boy Sead Kolasinac headed Arsenal level.
He had replaced the luckless Per Mertesacker who had gone off injured on the half hour.
So a third Community Shield success in four years for the Gunners.
In the words of ABBA, you could say as the winners, Arsenal take it all!
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