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Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Liverpool’s Fabinho during the FA Community Shield final at Wembley Stadium on August 29, 2020.
Andrew Couldridge / Pool via Getty Images
Arsenal beat Liverpool 5-4 on penalties to win the Community Shield after a 1-1 draw at Wembley on Saturday.
Here’s a look at three things we learned from the traditional pre-season friendly between Premier League champions and FA Cup winners:
Just 28 days after beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final, Arsenal returned to Wembley to kick off the new season, and once again the national stadium provided the ideal setting for Mikel Arteta’s team to highlight their rapid improvement. .
So lethargic and error-prone during the gloomy reign of Arteta’s predecessor Unai Emery, the Gunners have been transformed by their former midfielder and Liverpool were the last top team to discover just how well organized Arsenal is under their Spanish boss.
Just as Arteta outlasted Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard with his cunning game plans in last season’s FA Cup, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp found himself caught in his tactical net. rival in the first half.
Defending deep and attacking on the counter, instructed to target Liverpool’s young defender Neco Williams, Arsenal took the lead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s magnificent curling iron after he punished the rookie’s cautious approach.
Then when Arsenal’s legs began to tire after just a week of preseason training, Arteta had instilled in them enough competitive spirit to withstand a penalty shoot-out that Aubameyang won with a nonchalant penalty point.
Arsenal finished 43 points behind champion Liverpool last season but, while it might be too early to label the North Londoners as title contenders, it would be a surprise if that gap doesn’t get very close to the end of this period.
For a team whose coach is famous for his commitment to fierce pressure and high pace, there was a notable lack of intensity on the part of Liverpool as they suffered a second straight loss from Community Shield.
Jurgen Klopp’s team set such a high standard during their relentless march to a first English title in 30 years that it is easy to interpret any fall as proof that Liverpool’s thirst for silverware has been quenched.
Winning the Premier League faster than any other team just one year after winning the Champions League would be enough for some less motivated teams to rest on their laurels.
But Klopp has no reason to panic.
Not only were Liverpool without captain Jordan Henderson and influential defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, they have only been in their preseason training program for two weeks after the late end of the final period.
Klopp could be cheered up by the way Liverpool kept drawing through Takumi Minamino’s first goal for the club late in the second half – their champions will still be the team to beat when the title race begins in two weeks.
While it was the electric Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who stole the spotlight, there was also an encouraging display of emerging teenager Bukayo Saka.
Aubameyang’s future is crucial for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta said a new contract for the Gabonese striker is “close”.
But it is the development of youngsters like Saka that offers Arsenal hope for long-term success.
The 18-year-old winger enjoyed a great campaign in 2019-20 and it looks like he’s going to continue to build on that this season.
His passing range was on full display when he found Aubameyang with a cross pass that led to his captain’s opener in the 12th minute.
Only Kevin De Bruyne (22) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (15) have provided more assists to Premier League teams in all competitions since the start of last season than Saka (13).
