Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool (5-4 pens): 2020 Community Shield – as it happened

The FA Cup winners edged the champions on penalties after an entertaining encounter at Wembley

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Congratulations to Arsenal, then, and commiserations to Liverpool. Barney Ronay was at Wembley to see the Gunners win the Community Shield for the 16th time. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM!

Related: Aubameyang keeps his cool as Arsenal win Community Shield on penalties

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Jurgen Klopp’s verdict. “We had to play against a low block and a counter-attacking threat. But we should have created more because we had the ball quite a lot. But we had to be careful like crazy because of Aubameyang and they are strong in counter-attacking. So we had two really good moments when Sadio had the chances, and scored a good equaliser, but should have scored more and we didn’t do that. We have to take it, and the penalty shoot-out is always a lottery so we were unlucky. Congratulations to Arsenal. We respect the competition! A lot of things were good, I didn’t expect any sort of perfection. In the final third we need to be fresh and the rhythm failed a little bit. Today it was not enough.”

6.52pm BST

Mikel Arteta speaks! “I am so happy. I knew the challenge we faced against incredible opponents. David Luiz for example trained one day, so thank you very much to the players for the performance. I was pleased with our courage, how we pressed and made decisions. We sustained it in the second half. The last ten minutes, we dominated and created two good chances to win. Hopefully they can get used to it, it creates belief and a good atmosphere. Big games, big moments, big players ... Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was magnificent!” And his new contract? “We are close!”

6.44pm BST

Huge smiles as Aubameyang lifts the Community Shield! He doesn’t drop this one, even though Bellerin sends a huge spray of champagne straight into his face as he lifts it skyward! Liverpool stay to applaud their victors, but depart fairly quickly, heads bowed, once the Shield is lifted. Not the perfect start to the season for the champions, though this happened to them last season as well, and things didn’t pan out too badly after that. Arsenal meanwhile are left to celebrate wildly. Something is happening here under Mikel Arteta!

6.39pm BST

The match-winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang speaks! “I feel very good. Today we deserved the win. I will take this trophy and hopefully this time I won’t drop it! I am very happy. We’re going to see [about a new contract]. Today we get the trophy.”

The man of the match Ainsley Maitland-Niles - who is 23 today - adds: “It’s a special moment. The first time I’ve ever played on a my birthday, and at Wembley, fighting for another cup for the club. We brought it home, and it’s a fantastic feeling. I’m an Arsenal player until I’m told otherwise.”

6.36pm BST

A dejected Brewster scrunches his eyes and looks to the heavens. He gets a kiss from Jones, then hugs from Klopp and Firmino. He’ll need picking up tonight. Arsenal are in no need of an uplift, though! Smiles all round as they caper around an empty Wembley, filling the place with celebratory vibes! They fought so hard for this, refusing to buckle under some late Liverpool pressure. Quite a few grim faces. They wanted to win this Shield all right. Both teams had their eye on it ... and we were served up some highly decent early-season entertainment as a result!

6.32pm BST

Penalties: Arsenal 5-4 Liverpool. Aubameyang whips into the top right, and the FA Cup winners have beaten the Premier League champions! A second trophy in four weeks for Mikel Arteta!

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Penalties: Arsenal 4-4 Liverpool. Jones has to score ... and whips a fine kick into the bottom left, sending Martinez the wrong way.

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Penalties: Arsenal 4-3 Liverpool. Luiz belts a sensational penalty into the top left. Alisson went the right way this time, but had no chance.

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Penalties: Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool. Minamino, Liverpool’s second-half hero, spanks one straight down the middle.

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Penalties: Arsenal 3-2 Liverpool. As Van Dijk puts a fatherly arm around Brewster, Cedric slots into the right-hand side of the goal. Alisson sent the wrong way for the third time.

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Penalties: Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool. Brewster, on with seconds remaining, twangs his effort off the top of the bar. Too much power.

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Penalties: Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool. Maitland-Niles, the man of the match, is up next for Arsenal. He passes confidently into the bottom right. What nerves of steel!

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Penalties: Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool. Fabinho, who had a record of 17 penalties out of 17 with Monaco, skelps into the bottom left. Martinez off to the right.

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Penalties: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool. Nelson is up. The substitute whistles a fine effort into the bottom left. Alisson sent the wrong way.

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Penalties: Arsenal 0-1 Liverpool. Salah takes ... and lashes it into the right-hand side of the net, Martinez going the other way.

6.25pm BST

Arsenal defended magnificently in that second half, standing firm in the face of much Liverpool pressure. A very impressive performance, seeing they’ve just had five days of pre-season training, while Liverpool are a couple of weeks in. Liverpool will be happy enough with their own display, mind you ... up until the final third at least. It looks as though Liverpool will take the first penalty. Here we go!

6.21pm BST

A draw seems about right. We’re going to penalties!

6.20pm BST

90 min +2: Brewster comes on for Wijnaldum. A switch with the penalty shoot-out in mind?

6.19pm BST

90 min +1: Mane curls right to left for Robertson, who wins a header but slaps it over from six yards.

6.18pm BST

90 min: There will be a minimum of three added minutes.

6.18pm BST

89 min: Willock makes a couple of dangerous runs down the left. He looks for Aubameyang at the near post. The striker can only run the ball out for a corner. Arsenal have looked the more likely since that tranche of changes.

6.16pm BST

88 min: The official man-of-the-match is Maitland-Niles, who looked halfway out the door last week, en route to Wolves.

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86 min: Cedric crosses from the right. Willock gets between Gomez and Fabinho, and should be working Alisson at the very least. But he sends a very presentable chance wide left. That was a big opportunity to win this for Arsenal!

6.12pm BST

84 min: A reminder that if there’s no late winner, we’ll be going straight to penalty kicks.

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83 min: Keita allows his pocket to be picked by Maitland-Niles, who is free down the left ... but clumsily runs the ball out for a goal kick, under pressure from the covering Gomez.

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82 min: A triple change for Arsenal: Tierney, Saka and Nketiah are replaced by Kolasinac, Willock and Nelson. Meanwhile Liverpool send on Jones for Firmino.

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81 min: Robertson digs out a cross from the left. Mane chests it down but takes a heavy touch when one on one with Martinez, and their second duel ends in another win for the keeper. Brilliant save!

6.07pm BST

79 min: Holding sprays a long pass down the right for Saka, but the young man looks tired and is easily brushed off the ball by Robertson. “Minami-YES,” quips Peter Oh, because somebody had to.

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77 min: Liverpool are applying pressure, Arsenal beginning to tire. Firmino spins and looks to shoot. Not quite. Minamino nearly bustles his way free on the left. Not quite. Minamino, now on the right, goes over under pressure from Elneny, but doesn’t appeal for a penalty.

6.03pm BST

75 min: There was a VAR check for handball, as Minamino and Salah flicked the ball between each other. It might have hit a hand in the middle of a tangle of limbs ... but it belonged to Cedric. The goal stands.

6.02pm BST

Salah sashays along the front of the Arsenal box, right to left. He’s looking for space to shoot, but instead flicks to Minamino. There’s not much space as the pair barge into the box down the left channel. The ball breaks to Minamino, who opens his body and slots his first Liverpool goal into the bottom right!

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71 min: Robertson swings it in. Arsenal half clear. Firmino and Mane combine down the left, but the final ball is lacking. Arsenal are defending with great resilience.

5.58pm BST

70 min: Cedric barges into the back of Minamino, and this is a free kick on the left, 25 yards out. Robertson swings it in, and Tierney is forced to head over his own bar for a corner.

5.57pm BST

69 min: Saka drops a shoulder to edge past Wijnaldum on the right. He enters the box and shoots. It’s going wide, but only just, and Alisson can’t take the chance, catching and carrying over the line for a corner. The resulting set piece is a waste of everyone’s time.

5.56pm BST

68 min: A little pocket of space for Minamino, 25 yards out. He tries to whip a shot into the top left, but it’s an easy pick for Martinez.

5.55pm BST

67 min: Liverpool have had 80% of possession during the last five minutes. Martinez has had nothing to do.

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66 min: Nketiah takes one in the chest from a high-kicking Keita. The collision look accidental enough, and there’s no card. Nketiah is up again quickly enough.

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65 min: Mane threatens to break clear down the right, but Maitland-Niles sticks to his task and holds his line brilliantly. Mane can’t barge through.

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64 min: The game’s slowed right down. Arsenal are more than happy with this state of affairs. Liverpool not so much, but they’re having trouble raising their tempo.

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62 min: Arsenal are sitting back, but Liverpool can’t get anything going in the final third. The FA Cup holders are comfortable enough at the minute.

5.48pm BST

60 min: Keita’s first touch: a 30-yard belt at goal. It’s always flying wide right. But it’s a statement of intent, if nothing else.

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59 min: The admin frenzy continues as Liverpool make a double swap. Off go Milner and Williams, on come Minamino and Keita. Gomez will move over to right back, Fabinho partnering Van Dijk in the middle.

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58 min: And now the first sub of the day: Arsenal replace Bellerin with Cedric.

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57 min: Milner picks up the first booking of the day, sliding in hysterically on Nketiah. He can’t complain.

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56 min: Martinez is finally forced into action! Robertson rakes a long pass down the left. Mane gets in ahead of Holding, and enters the box, one on one with the keeper. But he can’t quite sort his feet out, and when he eventually tries to chip the ball home, the keeper smothers. Fine goalkeeping, though he should never have been allowed to make the save.

5.44pm BST

55 min: Van Dijk gifts possession to Aubameyang, who tries to release Saka down the right. Robertson tracks back to snuff out the danger.

5.43pm BST

54 min: Fabinho wins a corner off Maitland-Niles down the right. Milner takes, and finds Van Dijk at the far post, but Elneny and Holding make it hard for the Liverpool man, who can only softly eyebrow the ball wide left under extreme pressure. Martinez hasn’t had a save to make.

5.41pm BST

52 min: Aubameyang is found in space down the left. He swings to the far post, where Saka waits to knock home. But for once Aubameyang’s radar is wonky. The ball sails harmlessly away and Liverpool breathe again. This doesn’t look like it’s going to end 1-0, but who scores next?

5.39pm BST

51 min: Saka makes good down the right and lays off for Maitland-Niles, who leans back and clears the bar with ease. Liverpool go up the other end, Firmino cutting in from the left and trying to replicate Aubameyang’s goal, his effort sailing wide right.

5.38pm BST

49 min: Gomez slides a pass down the middle, but Mane and Firmino can’t execute the one-two they’re going for. Aubameyang threatens to counter down the left, but Gomez has stayed alert and wins the footrace.

5.35pm BST

47 min: Arsenal stroke it around the back confidently enough. Eventually Liverpool get a go. Williams blooters long, and Firmino nearly gets the better of Luiz under the high ball. Not quite, but for a second, Arsenal hearts were in mouths.

5.33pm BST

Arsenal get the second half underway. No changes.

5.20pm BST

Half-time entertainment. Hannah Jane Parkinson anticipates the new season by running the rule over all the new shirts.

Related: Lava touches and teal accents: the Premier League's 2020-21 kits

5.17pm BST

The Gunners started slowly, but go into the break deservedly leading. It’s not happened for Liverpool up front.

5.16pm BST

45 min: Saka whistles a ball in from the left. It rolls invitingly through the six-yard box, but Nketiah hasn’t gambled and Liverpool get away with it. There will be one added minute.

5.14pm BST

43 min: Saka’s corner is a non-event. In lieu of action, here’s Matt Dony: “Right. First game of the season, and I’m already annoyed. The referee, the commentary team and Peter Walton all agree that ‘There wasn’t enough contact for Mane to go down.’ Can anyone point out the rule that says there has to be enough contact to knock someone down? If you pull someone back, even slightly, while making no effort to play the ball, how is it not a foul? And this isn’t one-eyed Liverpool bias; I get just as annoyed when Liverpool players do it. Skrtel essentially built his whole game around it, and it infuriated me every time. Ah, I hate football.”

5.13pm BST

42 min: Maitland-Niles stands one up from the left, momentarily confusing Alisson, but Milner ushers it away from a throw. Arsenal work it around to the left again, allowing Tierney to have a whack. The shot balloons off Gomez and out for a corner.

5.12pm BST

40 min: One corner leads to another. And another. Arsenal are struggling to get out. From the third, Robertson curls delightfully from the left. Mane eyebrows it gently. At the far post, Van Dijk mistimes his attempt at trundling home, and the ball sails harmlessly out of play for a throw. Robertson will be wondering how he’s not got an assist to his name. On another day, he could have had two or three.

5.10pm BST

39 min: Salah threads a stunning diagonal pass through a small gap in the Arsenal defence to Robertson on the left. His low fizzer is poked out for a corner by Bellerin. Just as well, for red (and teal) shirts were lined up behind him.

5.09pm BST

38 min: Arsenal stroke it around the back a bit in the old George Graham style. A smart move, with Liverpool having built up a little momentum.

5.08pm BST

36 min: Gomez hoicks an extremely ambitious shot over the bar from distance. No need for this sort of traffic-on-North-Circular-bothering desperation yet.

5.07pm BST

35 min: It’s not quite happening for Liverpool. Mane does extremely well to keep the ball in down the left and tiptoes along the tightrope. Robertson joins in and whips another fine ball through the six-yard box. Salah can’t reach it with his big toe.

5.04pm BST

33 min: More good work from Arsenal down the left flank, and the ball ends up at the feet of Nketiah, just inside the Liverpool box. He tries to sort his feet out, but can’t fix them in time, and Van Dijk grabs the opportunity to intercept and clear.

5.03pm BST

31 min: Liverpool try to raise the tempo. Mane and Firmino exchange crisp passes down the left. A little brush between Bellerin and Mane, the latter going over, but he’s not getting a penalty for that. Robertson fizzes the loose ball across the face of goal, but there’s nobody there to poke home. Then another phase, and Salah has a shot blocked easily enough.

5.01pm BST

30 min: Milner sends a couple of crosses in from the left. Both are cleared easily enough, though hats off for the skill he displayed before the second, taking down a looping Gomez pass with an exquisite cushioned touch and spin.

4.58pm BST

28 min: Saka finds Nketiah down the inside-left channel. Nketiah drops a shoulder and, in looking for the top right, lashes well over the bar. It’s Arsenal who are looking more likely at the moment. Liverpool have barely threatened since falling behind.

4.58pm BST

26 min: Williams thinks about delivering a ball into the Arsenal box from the right. He hesitates, and allows Aubameyang, tracking back at speed, to nick it off his toe. Aubameyang is clearly willing to put in the work Arteta demands. Now they just need to get him to sign a new contract.

4.55pm BST

24 min: So having said that, it all goes a bit scrappy. Both teams are playing it like they mean it, though. Don’t let anyone argue this means nothing.

4.53pm BST

22 min: Williams and Milner take turns to shoot from the edge of the Arsenal box. Both attempts are blocked at source. Liverpool come again, Milner trying to find Firmino in the middle with a hooked pass, but Arsenal hold firm. This match is good fun.

4.52pm BST

21 min: Some space for Tierney down the left. He crosses too high, and it’s an easy claim for Alisson. But the momentum has almost totally flipped. Now it’s Arsenal who are first to everything, enjoying the lion’s share of possession.

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19 min: Saka isn’t perfect, mind, and he loops the resulting corner into Alisson’s arms. What a prospect the 18-year-old is, though. A real discovery.

4.49pm BST

18 min: Gomez is robbed by Nketiah in the centre circle. The ball’s slipped wide right for Saka, who nearly gets a second assist, advancing down the flank then cutting back for Nketiah, who doesn’t have to break stride as he sidefoots powerfully towards the bottom right. Alisson does extremely well to turn the shot around the post.

4.47pm BST

16 min: Hats off to Saka for the crossfield ball that set Aubameyang on his way. It was a sensational pass. Something’s afoot at Arsenal under Arteta.

4.46pm BST

14 min: That goal came very much against the run of play, and Liverpool look a little stunned. A question mark over Williams’ positioning, though Tierney was making off on the overlap, so he had plenty to think about.

4.44pm BST

Arsenal go straight up the other end and score! Saka sweeps right to left. Aubameyang drives at Williams down the left. He nudges the ball inside, given too much time and space, and lashes an unstoppable curler into the bottom right! What a finish!

4.43pm BST

12 min: Luiz slices out of play under pressure from the Liverpool press. Williams takes up possession on the right and curls onto Milner’s head. He should work Martinez at the very least, but heads harmlessly over.

4.42pm BST

11 min: Liverpool have enjoyed 60 percent of possession so far. Arsenal are struggling to put anything significant together.

4.40pm BST

9 min: Arsenal seem happy enough to sit back and look for Aubameyang with long passes. It’s all easy enough for Van Dijk and Gomez at the minute. Here’s Tom Hopkins: “That Arsenal kit put me in mind of the surface of Europa (the moon, not the limit of their continental ambitions).”

4.38pm BST

7 min: Robertson curls it in. Van Dijk sticks out a boot and guides the ball across Martinez and into the bottom corner. He doesn’t bother celebrating the goal, because he clearly went too early and had been caught offside. The Arsenal back line holding their nerve well. VAR checks, totally unnecessarily, and we play on.

4.37pm BST

6 min: Wijnaldum runs at Luiz down the inside left and is nudged over clumsily. A free kick. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Arsenal box.

4.36pm BST

5 min: Robertson hares down the left and curls a glorious deep ball towards Salah, to the right of the D. Tierney sticks out a leg and nearly sends an absurd looper over Martinez’s head and into the top right. But the keeper backtracks well and claims. Tierney enjoyed that, a tacit admission that he might not have meant to do exactly what he did.

4.34pm BST

3 min: Liverpool are further into their pre-season, and it’s showing in these very early exchanges. The champions first to everything at the minute. Mane breezes down the left and clips back for Robertson, haring down the inside-left channel. But the pass isn’t quite there. Holding does just enough to deal with the situation.

4.31pm BST

1 min: Liverpool are immediately on the front foot, Mane shaking and shimmying at Bellerin down the left. Bellerin stands firm and passes his first test.

4.30pm BST

Liverpool get the ball rolling. But not before a knee of solidarity and love is taken. Black lives matter.

4.28pm BST

The teams are out! Arsenal are in their ... yes, we’ve already covered this, haven’t we. Suffice to say, at a slightly damp and dreary Wembley, we’ll be off in a couple of minutes. Just the national anthem, pennant swap and coin toss to get out of the way. “That Arsenal shirt looks like the kitman left his red pen in a track suit pocket while loading the last wash. Nobody is buying his Marble Halls malarkey,” writes iconoclastic architecture critic

Jonathan Meades
Justin Kavanagh.

4.20pm BST

Here’s what happened the last time these two met.

Related: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened

4.19pm BST

Mikel Arteta talks! “It’s always good to be back at Wembley. We’re going to be fighting for another trophy. We have some really nice memories of this stadium. But when this game is being played is a little bit awkward. Winning a trophy generates belief and it was great to win another FA Cup title. We know the opponent we are facing, but we are convinced that if we do what we have to do, we have a chance to win. A lot of names are not even on the bench at the moment, we have players that have only had one training session. But it is what it is, and we’re going to put out the strongest team possible. But having five days training is not ideal. Martinez was our goalkeeper in the FA Cup, and he deserves to play this final.”

4.10pm BST

Jurgen Klopp speaks! “I would say we are ready. We have enjoyed training so far. Yes, the break was not too long, but it was absolutely OK. The boys look good. We are as fit as we can be. I hope I don’t have to spend all year talking about defending the title because I don’t understand that phrase 100 percent. We have the same in Germany, I never understood it there, it’s not about the language. You cannot defend a title when it’s an open race for everybody. So we try to attack again. But we don’t have a guarantee that it will work out, so why worry about that now? This is a really good opportunity for us, a big game, I am excited. But I saw the Arsenal line-up and it looks good.”

4.05pm BST

Match rules. If it’s a draw after 90 minutes, there’s no extra time. We’ll be going straight to penalty kicks. Each team will be able to make a maximum of six substitutions.

3.59pm BST

The FA Cup holders will be wearing this beauty today. It’s a nod to the marble halls at their much-missed Highbury pile.

3.39pm BST

Eight of the Arsenal team that started the FA Cup final four weeks ago are named again. Not here at all this time: Dani Ceballos, Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette.

James Milner captains Liverpool in the absence of the injured Jordan Henderson. Trent Alexander-Arnold is also unfit; he’s replaced at right-back by Neco Williams.

3.33pm BST

Arsenal: Martinez, Bellerin, Luiz, Holding, Tierney, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Xhaka, Saka, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
Subs: Leno, Cedric, Saliba, Kolasinac, Olayinka, Willock, Nelson, Smith Rowe, John-Jules.

Liverpool: Alisson, Williams, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Adrian, Keita, Grujic, Jones, Minamino, Tsimikas, Brewster, Elliott, Koumetio.

11.31am BST

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Here’s the legendary Guardian football correspondent David Lacey on Liverpool in 1979: “Their strength remains in their teamwork and in their ability to get the basic details of passing and positioning right for most of the time. When they have got the ball they consistently make space, when they lose possession, space disappears.” There you have it: the laconic Bob Paisley and the gregarious Jurgen Klopp, two peas in a pod.

Liverpool dominated Arsenal in that year’s Charity Shield. Alan Hansen channelled his inner Franz Beckenbauer, Terry McDermott scored twice, and a swaggering Kenny Dalglish display was topped when he sent Steve Walford off to the wrong fire before slotting past Pat Jennings. Liverpool won 3-1, payback for defeat in a marathon FA Cup semi the season before.

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