Chelsea lost preseason match v Arsenal on penalties

The Community Shield final is coming closer and closer, in three more days Chelsea and Manchester City take it on at Wembley. Both teams are very eager to grab this opportunity to win the first silverware of the season. Preseason however hasn’t gone fluently for either of these teams. Chelsea and Man City struggled during preseason mainly due to the absence of their World Cup players. In their final preseason match before the Community Shield match, Chelsea lot after penalties against Arsenal.

International Champions Cup

The match against Arsenal was played in Dublin, now both teams are back in Europe. It was Chelsea’s second match in this tournament during the summer and it was the second time they drew 1-1 after regular time. A few days earlier, Chelsea eventually won after penalties, this time it was Arsenal that took the penalties better. Chelsea will play one more International Champions Cup match, on Tuesday in between the Community Shield match and the start of the Premier League.

Mixed line-up

The absence of World Cup players isn’t always a bad thing. Chelsea played with a mix between experienced players and some young talents. The 17-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi got the chance in the starting line-up and he made a real bid for himself. Hudson-Odoi played a really strong match and completely dominated the experienced Hector Bellerin. There is a serious chance he will get playing time in the match for the Community Shield.

Arsenal

The Gunners had a difficult start in the match, but they became better by the minute. Unai Emery is still trying to find his perfect eleven, but there are a lot of positive signs around the upcoming season for Arsenal. The new managers and some quality new players will give Arsenal a real boost. Fans are looking very confident about their club.

This season is going to be a really interesting one, with the top 6 that’s getting even stronger, but teams below the top 6 will also make a bid for European football.