The new English season officially kicks off on Sunday with the traditional curtain-raiser at Wembley pitting Premier League champions Chelsea against FA Cup winners Arsenal in the Community Shield.
As early season games go, it couldn't be more mouth-watering, a clash between two bitter London rivals whose managers have long been at each other's throats. Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho haven't had a good word to say about each other for seasons, and the latter's jibe in 2014 about the Frenchman being a "specialist in failure" will ensure Sunday's game has an exhilarating edge.
The two have been at it again this week, Mourinho having a pop at Arsenal's transfer policy with Wenger retorting: "We don't listen too much to what people have to say." Nonetheless the Arsenal manager will be all too aware that when it comes to bragging rights between the two club it's the Blues who have had plenty to boast about in recent seasons.
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Wenger's side haven't beaten Chelsea in 13 games and what's more, it's 482 minutes since they last managed a goal. It's a pitiful record and Mourinho knows he has a psychological hold over Arsenal that includes the Community Shield. The last time the two sides met was in 2006, when Didier Drogba inspired Chelsea to a 2-1 victory.
Having said that, Arsenal will go into Sunday's game with their confidence high after an encouraging series of pre-season matches that netted them 14 goals in four matches. Last weekend they won the Emirates Cup for the first time in five years, a meaningless trophy but a fillip for the Gunners who put six goals past Lyon and also saw off the well-organised Wolfsburg.
"Our defensive stability was very good," Wenger said after that triumph. "It smells like we can score goals. That is something that is very positive. Around the box our passing looks incisive, dangerous, creative."
Chelsea on the other hand have laboured in their summer looseners, losing two of their three matches during their tour of the States. They did beat Barcelona on penalties but Mourinho refused to read much into that. "No-one was worried about winning or losing, it is like training for both of us," he said. "The penalties mean nothing but it's something nice for the people."
There was a similar message from Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic who said the pre-season matches Stateside counted for little now that the season proper was about to begin. "We'll be ready for Arsenal," Matic said. "We know what we have to expect. It's always a special game when you play at Wembley... and I hope we start well with a trophy and we will try to show our quality in the first game."
But Arsenal are quietly confident. Despite little activity on the transfer market since the window opened at the start of the month – save for the signing of goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea – the squad has a settled look about it with no injuries to report of the sort that have decimated the Gunners in recent seasons.
"I think it's the best team we've had in a long while - probably the best team I've been involved in," declared midfielder Aaron Ramsey. "Consistency is key. The form we showed towards the end of last season is the form we need to show throughout the new season if we want to be challenging for the title."
