The community shield may not be anywhere near the Champions League final, or even the FA Cup competition. Nonetheless, it remains a competitive game that has always acted as a curtain-raiser to the new season since 1908. The clash between champions and cup winners remain a glamorous pre-season friendly and tells a lot about the season ahead. To some fans, the community shield is a trophy worth winning because it presents the opportunity to send intents of winning the premier league in the season ahead.
So much History at stake
The Saturday encounter will see Liverpool entertain a resurgent arsenal that has continued to grow better under Arteta. Jurgen Klopp will be looking to win his 5th trophy since lifting the Champion’s League in June 2019.
However, Saturday’s game is more than a curtain-raiser. It brings another opportunity for the fans to sample its rich, yet sometimes peculiar history.
Does it pass for a competitive fixture, or it’s just normal preseason friendly?
Although there is the community shield trophy presented to the winners, this contest is a non-competitive fixture that only serves to set the tempo for a new season. Nonetheless, it is still a serious competition which some teams use to gauge their preparedness ahead of the new season.
Further, the goals scored during this match do not count toward the race for the Golden Boot, and the red cards are overlooked in the upcoming premier league fixtures. When Chelsea faced off against Manchester City in the 2012 Community Shield, Branislav Ivanovic was rightly sent off and subsequently shown a red card. However, that didn’t prevent him from taking part in the opening league fixture.
The winner of this competition is rewarded with medals and a trophy. However, despite all that, the community shield still remains a less significant trophy which has no major bearing on the league.
Has Arsenal won the most Community Shield trophies?
Well, Arsenal holds the record of the club with the most FA trophies. However, they haven’t been as lucky with the community shield trophies as Manchester United that has won 21 Community Shield trophies.
Arsenal and Liverpool have each won the trophy on 15 occasions. The Saturday meeting between them, therefore, is a chance to break the deadlock. It also gets interesting to note that the two teams will be participating in the competition for the 24th time since its inception.
Who wins on Saturday, and what do we expect?
Liverpool won the league with a bigger margin, and Arsenal might be looking at the table and wondering where they slipped. However, with the appointment of Arteta, we have seen a much improved Arsenal side.
In essence, we are looking at an Arsenal side that has been on the roll, dismissing some of the league’s big boy, and finally winning a record 14th FA Cup. One area of concern however will be the fitness f most players.
Liverpool hasn’t won the community shield since they last lifted it in 2006. Meanwhile, Arsenal boasts of a solid record at the Wembley stadium and will be looking to start the season on a high.
It is a contest between teams with an attacking mindset. And you can be sure it’s going to be an explosive encounter with goals from both ends.
Who wins the 15th Community Shield?
We wait to see!
