The Premier League schedule doesn’t start for another week, yet Chelsea look like they are in midseason form by beating Arsenal in the Community Shield.
A pair of Didier Drogba goals gave Chelsea the 2-1 win in the traditional season curtain-raiser between the league champion and the FA Cup winner. It also gave Chelsea an edge over Arsenal ahead of their first league meeting on August 21, at Stamford Bridge.
”It was important for both teams to get off to a good start — and thankfully it’s us who have,” Chelsea captain John Terry said.
”It’s been a long time since we beat Arsenal, so psychologically it’s given us a massive boost.”
The clubs drew twice in the league last season. Sunday was only Chelsea’s second win over Arsenal since November 1998.
”Maybe we were a bit too confident last season and it became a bit too easy for us,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who led his side to the 2003/04 league title without losing a game. ”This year, we will be on our toes and hungry.”
Chelsea are aiming to join Manchester United as the only other club to win consecutive league titles since Liverpool in 1984.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho started his first-choice side, with the addition of new leftback Asier del Horno, and introduced new signing Shaun Wright-Phillips and Hernan Crespo, who spent last season at AC Milan on loan.
”I think you could say Hernan Crespo is responsible for Didier’s performance,” Mourinho said. ”When you have a big player on the sidelines and you have to fight with him for a place, it produces the kind of pressure which is good for players.”
Chelsea’s first match is at Wigan next Sunday, when Arsenal host Newcastle.
”I don’t think this match will have any consequence for the future — it’s over and we’ve won the trophy,” Mourinho said. ”I’m happy with that, but next week is a new competition. I don’t think we have a mental block when we play Arsenal and now I don’t think we will beat them every time we play them.”
Wenger was upbeat after the match, unworried by the loss and impressed by how the younger members of his team have been integrated.
”The result is not too important,” he said. ”We have won four Community Shields and no one regards it as a trophy, so I do not mind any more.
”I think it was a good game, good preparation for the Premiership. You need to keep the ball to be dangerous and we did that and the spirit is very good.”
Arsenal pulled a goal back through Cesc Fabregas, an 18-year-old Spaniard who has stepped into the midfield role long held by Patrick Vieira, who joined Juventus last month.
”We have lost many great players in the past and miss all of them,” Wenger said. ”But life goes on and you have to look at what is in front you and I think the future is bright.
”Our younger players will be better this year, they will improve and we have a lot so we can only be better.”
Along with Fabregas, Wenger started 20-year-old defender Philippe Senderos and put Robin van Persie on a substitute. Van Persie spent two weeks in a Dutch jail in June on rape charges and is still under investigation. New midfielder Alexander Hleb also made an appearance. — Sapa-AP