Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the only goal of the game to help Arsenal on their way to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the 2015 Community Shield.

Both sides struggled for momentum in the opening quarter of the contest, but it was the Gunners who were quickest to find their feet to take a 24th-minute lead.

Chelsea, who did grow into things more and more as the second half went on, were unable to find a way past former shot-stopper Petr Cech as Arsenal claimed bragging rights in the Wembley curtain-raiser.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look back at the 90 minutes of action between the two London rivals.

Match statistics

ARSENAL
Shots: 11
On target: 5
Possession: 43%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12

CHELSEA
Shots: 14
On target: 2
Possession: 57%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 11

Was the result fair?

In the end Arsenal did just about enough to strike an early psychological blow on their near rivals. It was hardly the finest game of football this famous venue has ever witnessed, but the contest did have its fair share of talking points across the 90 minutes.

The Premier League champions simply failed to click into their free-flowing best all afternoon, with their clearest chance falling the way of Ramires seven minutes before half time. The Brazilian found himself in a promising position six yards from goal, yet he could only head Loic Remy's cross over the bar when left unmarked.

His replacement, compatriot Oscar, also came close to levelling up when testing Cech in the final quarter of the contest. That aside, though, the former Chelsea keeper had next to nothing to do all afternoon bar some simple catching practice.

In fact, it was Arsenal who had the better chances to add the game's second goal, particularly through Kieran Gibbs in added time, but the Englishman failed to get the better of Thibaut Courtois when left one-on-one.

Arsenal's performance

You got the sense pre-match that victory was always going to mean more to Arsenal than their opponents. Arsene Wenger's men may have won the FA Cup at this very ground just 64 days ago, yet it still feels as though they have a point to prove on the big stage. A decent end to last season has seen them emerge as real title contenders this time around, and they got their campaign off to the best of starts this afternoon.

The Gunners played some really nice football at times, especially when knocking the ball around in midfield, and they can now boast about the fact that they have scored in each of their eight visits to the new Wembley. Interestingly, Theo Walcott was selected as a lone striker for Arsenal and, while he barely set the world alight, you could see that he was clearly thriving off the show of faith from his manager. Plenty to be positive about, then, yet Wenger will himself admit that there is still work to be done.

Chelsea's performance

Losing, or indeed winning, in this competition is hardly a real barometer of how sides will fair for the remainder of the campaign. A case in point - you have to go back five years to find the last time a team who lifted the Community Shield went on to triumph in the Premier League. On that front Jose Mourinho will not be all that concerned, although after witnessing his side struggle to create any major chances he will know that work will need to continue on the training ground over the next seven days.

Chelsea still have one more friendly to come in midweek when they host Fiorentina, which could provide a platform to put this defeat to the back of the players' minds. The Blues had previously scored in each of their 13 visits to this venue, but Ramires's wasted free header aside Arsenal were relatively comfortable at the back. It has not been the greatest of pre-seasons for the West London outfit, in truth, and they will now hope that the injured Diego Costa returns from his latest hamstring setback sooner rather than later.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Scored the winning goal in the annual curtain-raiser and suggested afterwards that there is more of that to come this season. His strike ended Arsenal's barren run of more than eight hours without a goal against Chelsea, which is another welcome boost on the eve of the Premier League opener.

Biggest gaffe

Had Ramires made the most of his free header in the first half then it may have been a completely different contest. Remy, who was a constant source of frustration due to his inability to remain onside, finally came good when drifting into a wide position and crossing the ball into a central position. The Brazilian got his head to it, but failed to even test Cech between the sticks.

Referee performance

An impressive afternoon for Anthony Taylor, who appeared to get every call spot on. There were a few minor decisions to make, the biggest of which came early on when Cesc Fabregas went down inside the box after clattering into Per Mertesacker. The English official rightly waved played on.

What next?

Arsenal: Wenger's charges get their campaign underway with a home match against West Ham United, before travelling to take on fellow London outfit Crystal Palace.

Chelsea: The Blues' first big test comes in the second week of the term when they take on Manchester City, but before then a home fixture with Swansea City awaits in six days' time.