It was only a friendly. That’s a fact that means Pedro will be available for Saturday’s league game against Burnley despite his red card – and it’s also a useful excuse for a largely indifferent display from the Premier League champions. Arsenal may have needed a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield but Chelsea never seemed quite in the game. Quite how troubling that should be depends largely on what stage they are supposed to be at in their preparations, but there are definite causes for concern.
Chelsea’s strength last season was the 3‑4‑2‑1 formation that provided a platform on which their two main creators could perform with just enough assistance from the wing‑backs and a deeper-lying midfielder pushing forward.
Related: Olivier Giroud seals Community Shield win for Arsenal as Chelsea pay penalty
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