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After a bruising 90 minutes at Wembley that finished all square at 1-1, Arsenal defeated Chelsea 4-1 on penalties (in the new ABBA format) to lift the 2017 FA Community Shield.
Victor Moses opened the scoring for Chelsea early in the second half, before Sead Kolasinac equalized for Arsenal late in the game. Thibaut Courtois and Alvaro Morata missed for Chelsea in the subsequent penalty shootout, with Olivier Giroud scoring the winning penalty for the Gunners.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
#1 The Red Card changed the game
Pedro might have been happy to trudge off with his mask after being sent off - facing a livid Antonio Conte would scare the bravest of men. The Spaniard's challenge in midfield was utterly needless, and especially in a location of the pitch that could cause danger from a set-piece.
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Mohammed Elneny is hardly the most likely of players to dribble past a defence and sliding in with your studs up was utterly needless.
As it turned out, Arsenal found a lifeline when Sead Kolasinac scored his first Arsenal goal from the subsequent set-piece. From looking like they were coasting to victory, Chelsea offered Arsenal a sniff, and the Gunners took complete advantage.
#2 Chelsea need reinforcements
Antonio Conte's been fairly unhappy for a man who won the Premier League just a few months back. The Italian manager was left less than impressed by the Chelsea board's decision to sell Nemanja Matic to Manchester United, and while Tiemouye Bakayoko has arrived as his replacement, the lack of cohesion in Chelsea's midfield was clear to see.
Willian and Pedro looked bereft of ideas - and without the bulldozer that is Diego Costa and Eden Hazard's magic, Chelsea looked toothless for much of the first half. The opening goal wasn't exactly resultant of any creativity - it was more of an opportunistic strike. Arsenal's defence isn't exactly the litmus test for any attack, and Chelsea will face far more tougher days.
The Blues need more creativity, and the impending signature of Danny Drinkwater seems rather underwhelming. Chelsea face a tough season, although they could solve a lot of their problems with another foray into the transfer market.
#3 Alexandre Lacazette shouldn't be judged so soon
Plenty of Arsenal fans were ecstatic when the Gunners broke their transfer record to sign Alexandre Lacazette, and naturally expect the world from him. However, the Frenchman is very much a striker who relies on his teammates to create a chance for him, one which he buries more often than not.
The supply of Danny Welbeck, Alex Iwobi, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Hector Bellerin are far more blessed in their legs than their brains, with plenty of Lacazette's runs being ignored. The Frenchman's success at Lyon was heavily dependant on the combinations he formed with teammates, and we will not truly see the best of Lacazette until January. Although there were flashes of brilliance - like when he hit the post.
Sead Kolasinac doesn't need any adjustment period though - the tank-like figure looked like a proper Premier League player through and through, and he could definitely augment Arsenal's attacking output at set-pieces.
#4 Victor Moses looked the only bright spot for Chelsea
Victor Moses was the villain when Chelsea last faced Arsenal at Wembley in last season's FA Cup final, but the wingback was one of Chelsea's few positives. The player has been identified as a weakness by many, with Chelsea linked with replacements like Antonio Candreva.
The Nigerian remains a willing worker and deserved his opportunistic goal, in a Chelsea performance that looked rather pedestrian. The Blues' defence looked solid enough, but their only positive outlet seemed Moses, although the 26-year-old looked shackled in the latter stages of the game.
Going forward, Michy Batshuayi and Alvaro Morata looked lost, and while it was only a pre-season game, there are plenty of warning signs for the Blues.
#5 ABBA makes its football debut
Football's been witness to plenty of changes in the last few years - some of them good, some of them bad. VAR has had plenty of critics for the way it removes the drama from a disputed goal, but the new format for penalty kicks - which goes along the A-B-B-A route - worked brilliantly in the first time we saw it at Wembley.
Nacho Monreal scored the historic penalty, right after Theo Walcott opened the scoring for Arsenal. The format seems to relieve a bit of the pressure as teams have two goes in succession. Perhaps that explains the decision to allow Thibaut Courtois to take a spot-kick - a decision that backfired spectacularly, only for Morata to compound the pressure with another miss. (Curiously, Petr Cech still has to save a penalty in an Arsenal shirt.)
The routine also served to lift the pressure of Arsenal next, who had the knowledge that they could miss their next two and still remain in the hunt. As it turned out, Giroud hammered home the penalty that brought Arsenal their 15th Community Shield, and Wenger's 9th win at Wembley.
