Community Shield this Sunday Chelsea vs Arsenal

The two best English teams of last season go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon with the first piece of silverware at stake for the new season. Although very much a pre-season friendly, recent encounters have been fiery affairs with 18 yellow cards and two reds in the past five Community (Charity) Shield matches.Furthermore, the amount of column inches given to the Ashley Cole tapping up affair between Arsenal and Chelsea may add an extra spice to the occasion. Howard Webb has been selected as the referee. The 34 year old from Rotherham was officiated 23 Premiership matches last season, issuing two red cards and 72 yellow. That equates to a booking average of 33.4 bookings points, significantly below the spreads quotes of 36-40.Nonetheless bookings players should keep a careful eye on proceedings. In both meetings last season four players were booked, but with the added ingredient of the Ashley Cole matter, it may not take too much for this match to ignite. Success in the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season does not mean trophies will follow during the campaign. Lifting the Shield has often been followed by poor campaigns. In the past 20 years, only Manchester United in 1996-97, 1993-94 and Liverpool in 1989-90 have won the league title and the Shield in the same year. Of course Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourihno will care little for these statistics and send their sides out with the intention of winning. The best bet could though be for the match to finish level after ninety minutes, as was so in both league matches last term. The draw can be backed at 9/4 with several firms at the time of writing.