After short break, English football set to kick off again

BELIEVE it or not, just 28 days after Arsenal lifted the FA Cup at Wembley to bring the curtain down on a most unusual English football season, it's time to get going again this weekend.

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the football world and all its schedules topsy-turvy, and so, in the blink of an eye, the new season is already upon us.

Not that many fans are complaining, of course. We had to go cold turkey for three months at the height of the pandemic from the middle of March, so the shorter break may be a pain for the players, but it also means we get our regular football fix much sooner.

On Saturday night (11.30pm kick-off, Singapore time), Arsenal lace up their boots and return to Wembley to face new English Premier League (EPL) champions Liverpool in the Community Shield.

Some purists insist this match - to be played behind closed doors - is nothing more than a glamorous pre-season friendly, but many of these games in the past have been hot-blooded and chock-full of goals.

Here's the lowdown on what you need to know before the season-opener:

What exactly is the Community Shield?

This match has long been regarded as the traditional "curtain-raiser" to a new English football season. Its roots began 122 years ago, back in 1898, when it was known as the Sheriff of London Charity Shield and contested between professional and amateur teams.

In 1908, it was re-branded as the FA Charity Shield. The first edition of this match took place at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground between Football League champions Manchester United and Southern League champions Queens Park Rangers.

The match traditionally takes place before the start of a new EPL season, which takes place the following weekend.

This year, the new EPL campaign begins a fortnight later on Sept 12.

Why was it called the Charity Shield?

This match was known as the Charity Shield from 1908 all the way until 2002. Each year, the Football Association donates a percentage of the ticket revenue to worthy causes. It was then re-branded again in 2002 as the Community Shield to include a larger group of beneficiaries.

But which teams qualify to play in this game?

The Community Shield involves the current EPL champions and FA Cup holders. In the event where the same team wins both trophies in the previous season, they will play the team that finished second in the EPL.

The winners take home a giant shield, of course, and some bragging rights, even though England's Football Association officially classifies this as a non-competitive fixture.

The runners-up don't go home empty-handed, with each player receiving a medal in the shape of a miniature shield.

So, Liverpool should be the favourites to win this?

The Reds are definitely the bookies' hot pick to win. Fresh from claiming their first EPL crown in 30 years last month when they finished 18 points clear of second-placed Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp's men are eager to get an early psychological boost over one of their main rivals.

Liverpool have the same squad as they did last season, with no major new signings coming on board as yet.

But with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in Klopp's starting line-up, it's almost a given that at least one of them will score in any given match, and that spells big trouble for their opponents.

Surely Arsenal are no pushovers?

Like Liverpool, Arsenal have won the Community Shield a total of 15 times.

The Gunners didn't qualify for next season's Champions League as they finished a disappointing eighth place last season, but they did end the campaign on a high with that FA Cup triumph, which earned them a ticket to the second-tier Europa League instead.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been busy in the pre-season transfer window, with the club bringing in winger Willian and defender William Saliba into the squad since that record-extending 14th FA Cup victory.

Arsenal could also sign defender Gabriel Magalhaes from French team Lille this weekend; negotiations are said to be in the final stages for the Brazilian.

The Gunners have been quite potent up front, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette firing on all cylinders towards the end of last season, and both will be looking to continue their red-hot scoring form.