Bragging rights at stake in EPL curtain-raiser

THE Community Shield football match may be regarded by some as nothing more than a meaningless friendly, but there will be nothing friendly about the match on Sunday (10pm, Singapore time) between bitter London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

For starters, there is an actual trophy up for grabs at Wembley Stadium. It actually looks more like a giant serving dish or a protective shield that He-Man might use in battle, but it's still a cool piece of silverware to add to the trophy cabinet.

Second, there are bound to be fireworks whenever Arsenal and Chelsea - long-time foes in the sport - take to a football pitch to contest what is called the North London Derby.

They have produced some of the most thrilling matches in English football, such as the Gunners' (Arsenal's nickname) 5-3 English Premier League (EPL) win in 2011 and Chelsea's 3-2 aggregate victory in the Cham…