Arsenal win 2017's FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium after shootout victory over Chelsea

Sunday 06 Aug 2017

Arsenal lifted the 2017 FA Community Shield following a historic penalty shootout victory over Chelsea at Wembley.

The Emirates FA Cup winners and Premier League champions couldn’t be separated after a closely-run 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.

And the first-ever shootout on English soil using the ‘ABBA’ format of spot-kicks went in the Gunners’ favour, after Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois and record signing Alvaro Morata missed successive kicks for the Blues to give Arsenal an advantage they didn’t rescind.

For Chelsea, Victor Moses went some way to making up for his red card in the Emirates FA Cup Final in May by scoring the opener to seemingly set Antonio Conte’s side on their way to victory.

But it was Arsenal’s summer signing, Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac, who introduced himself to his new supporters in style by heading them level in the later stages to take the game to a shootout.

The first half was a fairly timid affair in parts with Arsenal’s other summer addition, Alexandre Lacazette, coming closest in the opening exchanges when he placed a shot against the base of the post after strike partner Danny Welbeck had teed him up in the box.

At the other end, a jinking run into the box from Pedro saw him fashion enough space to fire in a shot at goal but Petr Cech was equal to it.

The Shield may be the final friendly of the summer but there was certainly no shortage of competitive edge, with referee Bobby Madley making more cautions than either side were able to get shots on target.

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And the West Riding-based official had to be spot on just before the break when Chelsea’s William latched onto a loose ball in the area before falling over Hector Bellerin’s challenge. Those in blue expected a penalty, but the Brazilian was in the book instead with Madley’ cautioning Willian for simulation.

It took less than a minute after the re-start for Chelsea to draw first blood though, as a corner was only half-cleared by the Gunners before Cesc Fabregas hooked the ball back into the area.

Moses was onto it in a flash and, at the same end where he was sent off for simulation in May, he controlled and finished past Cech with aplomb.

Arsenal looked to hit back straight away and Bellerin fizzed an angled cross-shot from the right, which Courtois had to parry aside.

The Belgian keeper then had to better that in the 75th minute, when he made a stunning stop to tip Granit Zhaka’s swerving, dipping long-range shot around the post.

And with Chelsea reduced to ten men after Pedro was dismissed for an ugly challenge on Mohamed Elneny, the Gunners equalised from the resulting free-kick as Zhaka clipped a deep ball to the far post for Kolasinac to firmly head home and take the game to a shootout.

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Shootout:

Chelsea: 1. Gary Cahill scores, 4. Thibaut Courtois misses, 5. Alvaro Morata misses
Arsenal: 2. Theo Walcott scores, 3. Monreal scores, 6. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scores, 7. Olivier Giroud scores

Arsenal: 33 Petr Cech, 24 Hector Bellerin, 4 Per Mertesacker (c), 16 Rob Holding (Arsenal), 18 Nacho Monreal, 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; 17 Alex Iwobi, 35 Mohamed Elneny, 29 Granit Zhaka; 23 Danny Welbeck, 9 Alex Lacazette.

Substitutes: 31 Sead Kolasinac for Mertesacker 33, 12 Olivier Giroud for Lacazette 66, 14 Theo Walcott for Iwobi 67, 61 Reiss Nelson for Welbeck 87

Substitutes not used: 13 David Ospina, 30 Ainsley Maitland-Niles, , 69 Joe Willock

Manager: Arsene Wenger

Goals: Sead Kolasinac 82

Cautions: Hector Bellerin (16)

Chelsea: 13 Thibaut Courtois; 15 Victor Moses, 24 Gary Cahill (c), 30 David Luiz, 28 Cesar Azpilicueta, 3 Marcos Alonso;, 4 Cesc Fabregas, 7 N’Golo Kante; 22 Willian, 23 Michy Batshuayi, 11 Pedro

Substitutes: 9 Alvaro Morata for Batshuayi 74, 2 Antonio Rudiger for Alonso 79, 17 Charly Musonda for Willian 82

Substitutes not used: 1 Willy Caballero, , 27 Andreas Christiensen, 36 Kyle Scott, 38 Jeremie Boga

Manager: Antonio Conte

Goals: Victor Moses 46

Cautions: Cesar Azpilicueta (13), Marcos Alonso (35), Willian (37)

Red card: Pedro 80

Referee: Bobby Madley

Attendance: 83325

By Nicholas Veevers Content Manager - FA Owned Channels at Wembley Stadium

Arsenal lift Community Shield