Arsenal vs Chelsea, Community Shield - as it happened: Gunners beat London rivals on penalties

Follow all the live action from the Community Shield as champions Chelsea take on FA Cup winners Arsenal

Sead Kolasinac in action for Arsenal (Getty)

When Chelsea faces Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday, the winner may be which team can best put a turbulent offseason behind them.

The traditional season curtain raiser at Wembley Stadium features league champion Chelsea against FA Cup winner Arsenal.

Past Community Shield matches have often lacked genuine competitiveness, but the shared summer of discontent and a fierce London rivalry should guarantee entertainment on Sunday.

Follow live coverage of the match below...

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When is it?

The Community Shield kicks-off on Sunday afternoon, at the slightly unusual time of 2pm.

Where can I follow it?

The game will be screened live on BT Sport 1, with their coverage beginning at 1pm.

Alternatively, you can follow all of the action with The Independent’s live blog. Simply return to this page an hour ahead of kick-off.

What’s the latest team news?

Arsenal: Manager Arsene Wenger has been trying to keep hold of Alexis Sanchez as the Gunners attempt to return to the Champions League after missing out on qualification for the first time in 20 years. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is desperate to increase the size of his "small squad" as the Blues prepare to defend its Premier League title.

“The strength of professional people is to not be diverted by noises that are not their problem,” Wenger said Thursday.

There's a lot of noise.

It seems as though Sanchez is staying (Arsenal FC via Getty) (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Sanchez was Arsenal's leading scorer with 30 goals last season, including the opener in its FA Cup final triumph over Chelsea at Wembley in May. He appears to have decided his future lies away from north London but Wenger disagrees.

“He is focused. My decision is clear, he will stay and he will respect that and that's as simple as that,” Wenger said of the Chile forward.

Despite signing France striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon in July for a club record 60 million euros (then $68 million), Arsenal has chosen to keep Sanchez for the final year of his contract. That risks the possibility of losing the 28-year-old star on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Chelsea: Conte won the title in his first season at Stamford Bridge with a squad lacking depth, but wants multiple new faces to cope with the additional strain of Champions League football.

“Now, for us, it's very important to try to improve our squad's numerical aspect, because we have a small squad and I think only one player is not enough to improve our team,” Conte said on Friday.

Chelsea has signed striker Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco and defender Antonio Rudiger from Roma during the offseason, but those arrivals have been offset by the departures of Nemanja Matic and John Terry. Also, Diego Costa is no longer wanted by Conte.

Alvaro Morata in action for Chelsea (Getty)

There have been reports of unrest between Conte and the Chelsea hierarchy over transfer policy, which were further fueled in July when the former Italy manager received a salary increase but did not extend his contract, which expires in 2019.

“The most important thing is the club knows my opinion and they're trying to do the best for our team, our squad,” Conte said. “Now we have to wait, we must have patience.”

What are the latest odds?

Arsenal to win in 90 minutes: 9/4
Chelsea to win in 90 minutes: 6/5
Draw after 90 minutes: 5/2

[6 August 2017 16:03 · Evan Bartlett]

GOAL: Chelsea 1-0 Arsenal: Cahill with a big long run up slots it into the top left corner. 

[6 August 2017 16:03 · Evan Bartlett]

GOAL: Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal: Walcott lifts it into the top right corner.

[6 August 2017 16:04 · Evan Bartlett]

GOAL: Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal: Monreal sends Courtois the wrong way.

[6 August 2017 16:05 · Evan Bartlett]

MISS: Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal: It's Courtois who steps up... and he blazes high, wide and very, very handsome. Oh dear.

[6 August 2017 16:05 · Evan Bartlett]

MISS: Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal: Morata, on his debut, sends it wide of Petr Cech's right-hand corner. 

[6 August 2017 16:06 · Evan Bartlett]

GOAL: Chelsea 1-3 Arsenal: Oxlade-Chamberlain coolly slots it home. Can Giroud wrap it up?

[6 August 2017 16:07 · Evan Bartlett]

GOAL: Chelsea 1-4 Arsenal: Giroud thumps it into the top right corner and Arsenal have won the Community Shield!

[6 August 2017 16:10 · Evan Bartlett]

 

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[6 August 2017 16:22 · Evan Bartlett]

Arsenal lift the Community Shield! Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker - sporting a big stitch above his eye after that first half clash - climb the steps and lift their first silverware of the season​ as Sweet Caroline blares out around Wembley.