2017 Community Shield: Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea (4-1 penalties)
The English football season was inaugurated this Sunday. Like during the FA Cup Final Arsenal got the best of Chelsea. Thus, Arsenal starts the season with a trophy and responded critics after losing 3-0 to Chelsea a few weeks ago in exhibition game. Coaches comment on the match:
Arsene Wenger (Arsenal coach):
“I’m very happy because we won the trophy. The quality of the game was very good and the two teams gave absolutely everything. The two teams played with a lot of intensity and quality. Even when we were 1-0 down, we didn’t panic and kept control of our game to come back. Overall, the performance is a continuity of what we did at the end of last season. We want to find a good balance between the confidence we can get out of these games and the urgency that every Premier League game demands.
We had some bad starts in the first game of the Premier League over the last four years but we’ve had the intensity in our games that is needed to be ready. Let’s go into the Premier League with the same discipline, the same spirit, and see where we can go. If you look at the Premier League, there’s seven or eight teams who you can say can win the Premier League, so it makes it very interesting. You will have some individual disappointments through the season and it’s important that we focus on keeping together in every single game. The Premier League is very unpredictable because every game is a fight and as soon as you are a bit off you don’t win”.
Antonio Conte (Chelsea coach):
“This game was a tough game for both teams. We tried to win, and we tried to improve our physical condition because in six days we start the league. Now the most important thing is to continue to work and to improve our team. For sure there is disappointment to finish with 10 men for the second game against Arsenal, after the FA Cup final.
Morata has missed work but that’s normal, he has only stayed with us for two weeks. It’s very important for him to find a good physical condition and to understand our idea of football. That’s normal. It’s the same for Rudiger and for Bakayoko.”
