Chelsea FC face Arsenal on Sunday in the Community Shield. This will be only the second time that the two clubs have squared off in what is now the traditional top flight season curtain-raiser, and if anyone thought that the Blues would be taking it lightly, Kurt Zouma states otherwise.
POPULAR: Didier Drogba’s Top 10 Chelsea FC Goals
The Community Shield has often been regarded as a glorified pre-season friendly. It’s merely the final step in the preparation for a new campaign. However, this is becoming less and less true and one could now reasonably view it as an opportunity for a manager to dry run his preferred starting XI and see how they fare in a properly competitive environment. Even if people are still not convinced of the validity of the contest, Zouma has this to say:
"We are ready. We have a few days to recover and prepare ourselves and we have to be ready for this game. Playing against Arsenal is never a small game. It is a derby and it is for a trophy and we want to win everything, and that begins with this game. – Zouma to chelseafc.com"
The youngster may be influenced by the notion that he could be fighting for a Premier League starting spot on Sunday, but the fact remains that this is a game against Arsenal. Chelsea do not want to lose to the Gunners full stop.
This thought is only reinforced by the setting of the match: Wembley Stadium. This is a London derby held in the national stadium with a trophy on the line. You cannot reasonably think that club captain John Terry won’t make his team aware of this fact.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
Furthermore, it’s not as if the crowd will be that of a pre-season friendly as tickets are sold out for both clubs. Given that the corporates turn up, there will be close to 90,000 people packed in to watch the game. If either side were to try and treat this as a run-out, they simply wouldn’t be able to in such a thunderous atmosphere.
This is only the second time that Chelsea have met Arsenal for the Shield, with the last time being in 2005 (the Blues ran out 2-1 winners) and either set of supporters just won’t put up with losing the contest. Actually, forget the fans for a second. Jose Mourinho has never lost to Arsene Wenger and he certainly will not want that record to end.
RELATED: Chelsea FC And The History Of The Community Shield
Also in terms of the players, there is room for some high emotions. Petr Cech is likely to line up in goal for Arsenal after 11 years at Stamford Bridge while Cesc Fabregas should start for Chelsea against the club who made him.
Right. Now try and tell me that this is like a pre-season friendly.
Instead of saying all the right things, Zouma is probably reflecting what the attitude around the squad genuinely is at the moment. A win on Sunday could really set the tone for the first half of the season and instill the concrete belief within the squad that may have been lacking following a frankly shabby pre-season.
“It is a derby and it is for a trophy and we want to win,” said Zouma. We shouldn’t be expecting anything else.
Check out all our Community Shield coverage at the hub page here, and be sure to stay in touch with The Pride Of London as we march onwards to the 2015/16 Chelsea FC campaign.
Next: World Football's Scarface, And Other Friday Ramblings