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Old foes prepare for battle

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 08/08/2009

It's a repeat of the 2007 instalment at Wembley on Sunday. Chelsea lock horns with Manchester United in the FA Community Shield in the 87th annual curtain raiser to the new league season.

Formerly the Charity Shield, the match brings together the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners from the previous season. (Or the top two if the league winners do the double.)

Fittingly, the 2009 shield will be contested between the two leading lights of English football over the past five seasons.

The pair have shared the Premier League title since 2005, ousting Arsenal from the summit and seeing off title challenges from Liverpool.

Technically a pre-season friendly, the match does hold prestige and both Sir Alex Ferguson and new Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti will be keen to add the silverware to their trophy cabinets to provide a boost ahead of the Premier League openers a week later.

Though if the 2007 Community Shield is anything to go by, don't expect a match as compelling as the 2008 Champions League Final or the colossal Premier League battles between the two clubs of the past few seasons.

The 2007 match does bare some resemblance to the European Cup Final of the following year, in which United were crowned Champions League winners at the expense of Chelsea in Moscow.

Both matches went to penalties, but the domestic game was as exciting as a pre-season bleep test.

United won the trophy after a 1-1 draw in regular time, triumphing in the shootout 3-0.

Will the Premier League champions be on show on Sunday? Latest Football Betting

Ferguson has claimed that his side will adopt a new playing style this season following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

Sunday's match provides Michael Owen with the first chance to prove himself for the Red Devils against top quality opposition.

The former Liverpool man appears to be leading the race to partner Wayne Rooney up front at Old Trafford next season after impressing since his summer arrival.

The likes of Luis Antonio Valencia, Zoran Tosic and Gabriel Obertan could also have opportunities to press their claims for first team action.

Blues fans are expectant of some new faces which could propel them to sportsbook favourites for the Premier League in the coming weeks.

Though the immediate concern for Ancelotti will be finding the right formula to achieve success with the current crop.

The Blues had a terrific ending to 2008/09 and if they can hit the ground running they would be in great shape to lift a third Premier League title.

New signing Yuri Zhirkov could be one to watch on Sunday as he looks to force his way into the reckoning for a regular place on the left side.

With Florent Malouda and Ashley Cole making the positions their own last season, the £18million Russian needs to make an impression quickly.

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