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| image: English FA |
The curtain
raiser of the English Premier League season takes place on Sunday with league
champions Chelsea
taking on FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley. With the history between both
managers, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, it has given added spice to the
game. And true to this pattern, the media had sought to stoke the fire ahead of
the game, but Arsene Wenger has adopted a measured approach by not giving in to
what the media would ordinarily prey on. The Frenchman replying along
these lines "we don't listen to what others say"
This was in
response to Jose Mourinho's claims that Arsenal were trying to buy the title
because of their spending over the last three years. However the enigmatic
Portuguese did not stop there.
He has also
been quick to remind everyone about the number of times he has gone unbeaten
against Arsene Wenger. At present it stands at 13. (D6 7L) and coupled with
that Arsenal have not scored against Chelsea
for almost 500 minutes.
The self-styled
special one claims he would have found a solution to that unbeaten run if he
was the manager, asserting that West Brom’s Tony
Pulis was a more difficult rival having lost to him on two occasions.
The Chelsea manager never
shies away from making comments that the media keeps up and run with with an
element of voracious glee. Yet, on many occasions he has been rewarded even
after making such remarks prior to a match, because his teams have always
delivered on the day.
Being a
pragmatic manager, his first approach to a game his to set his team not to
lose, a tactics that has played into Chelsea's
hands on numerous occasions when they have come up against Arsenal.
Yet, the
community Shield on Sunday is different in more ways than one. Although the Chelsea manager stated it
is more than a friendly, the stakes for the match is high in the eyes of many
because of the recent history between both clubs.
Arsenal are
coming into the match after a flawless pre-season campaign, where they won
their matches without conceding a goal, and it is the second season in a row
they would be playing in the community shield. They defeated Manchester City
3-0 last time out.
The Arsenal
squad coming into this season has been tipped for a sustained title challenge.
The signing of Petr Cech has added experience to a back line that is already
settled.
Arsenal and
Arsene Wenger would want to avoid the pitfalls of last season where they
started the season poorly despite defeating Manchester City
in the Community Shield last season.
Although,
Sunday's match would not have a direct bearing on the destination of the title,
it could however aid in breaking a mental block that has stopped Arsenal from
beating Chelsea
under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho.
The fact
that it is a neutral ground and no advantage so to speak to either teams,
should make the game a less territorial affair.
With the
nature of the game, and the fact that it attracts more than the normal
substitutions allowed, it takes the feel of a friendly match.
Yet, such a
match only means nothing to the team that lose at the end of the day, whoever wins will get the
opportunity of lifting a trophy, and a confidence boost ahead of the new
season.
It will be
the 14th game between Arsenal and Chelsea have contested under both managers,
and the second time both managers would be meeting in the Community Shield
since 2005 when Arsenal lost to Chelsea.
In the end,
every unbeaten run eventually comes to end, and after what has gone before the
game, it should be an interesting match.
Possible Line Up:
Arsenal:
Petr Cech, Mathieu Debuchy, Per
Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla,
Mesut Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Oliver Giroud.
Chelsea:
Courtois, Branisav Ivanonic, John
Terry, Gary Cahill, Caesar Azpilicueta, Nemanja Matic, Ramires, Cesc Fabregas,
Eden Hazard, William, Diego Costa
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