LONDON, Sporting Alert – The starting lineups for today’s FA Community Shield between Chelsea and Arsenal are now available, while live streaming coverage can be seen on Fox Sports 2 GO.
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Live Streaming is also on Fox Sports GO, with Fox Sports 1 USA providing live television broadcast in the United States and BT Sport 2 in the UK.
Arsene Wenger has decided to hand new goalkeeper Petr Cech his official competitive debut for Arsenal as he made two changes to the team that won the FA Cup in the last domestic contest last May.
Cech comes into the starting team as a replacement for the departing Wojciech Szczesny, who is now out on loan with Roma, while winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Alexis Sanchez.
England forward Theo Walcott has been given another chance to prove himself as a striker, as he’s named as the main man up front, with Olivier Giroud only on the bench.
Santi Cazorla, who recently signed a new deal with Arsenal also starts the game, with Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin in the midfield as well.
Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny will start at the centre-back positions, with Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal next to them.
Meanwhile, for Chelsea, Jose Mourinho has decided to start with Loic Remy as his centre-forward, but there is no Diego Costa, who has “discomfort in his hamstring.”
Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Willian, Nemanja Matic and Ramires start as the midfielders for this contest.
Fabregas is expected to play a more attacking role today for Chelsea, as the Spanish international is set to feature in the no.10 position and support Remy.
Oscar, Radamel Falcao, Juan Cuadrado and Victor Moses are all on the bench, while Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta will provide the support for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Wenger will be seeking to stop his horrible record against Mourinho, but the Arsenal manager could be left disappointed again at the end of this one.
According to Opta Stats, “The FA Cup winners have won only one of the last five Community Shield matches.”
At the same time, Wenger and his men will take some comfort in knowing that it was his Arsenal team that did so last year.
Opta Stats also revealed that the Gunners have not scored a goal against a Jose Mourinho Chelsea side since 2007.
Both managers have decided to play a 4-2-3-1 formation at Wembley Stadium.
Arsenal: Cech; Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott.
Subs: Martinez, Debuchy, Gibbs, Gabriel, Arteta, Iwobi, Giroud.
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Ramires, Willian, Fabregas, Hazard, Remy
Subs: Begovic, Zouma, Oscar, Falcao, Cuadrado, Mikel, Moses
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