CARDIFF (Wales), Aug 11: Double winners Arsenal added the Community Shield to their bulging trophy cabinet Sunday when Brazilian World Cup winner Gilberto Silva gave them a 1-0 victory over Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium.

Close season signing Silva, a second-half substitute, crashed the ball past Liverpool’s outstanding Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek after 69 minutes to secure Arsene Wenger’s side a deserved victory in the traditional curtain raiser to the new premier league season.

Thierry Henry had earlier struck the post for Arsenal, who showed they have no intention of relinquishing the domestic dominance that brought them the premier league title and FA Cup last season.

Liverpool were left frustrated after having a number of penalty appeals turned down, the strongest when Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira appeared to fell their new Senegalese signing El Hadji Diouf.

Arsenal, despite the absence of now retired defensive pair Tony Adams and Lee Dixon along with injury victims Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Giovanni Bronckhorst controlled most of the first half against a disjointed Liverpool.

Wenger’s side came closest when Dudek pulled off a superb triple save to deny Henry and then two follow-up efforts from Dennis Bergkamp after 20 minutes.

Liverpool fielded new signing Diouf in a new look three-man attack but their only real chance of the first half came in the 29th minute when Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman blocked an Emile Heskey drive after a slick link up between Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen.

The champions almost went in front two minutes into the second period when Bergkamp released the lively Henry. The French striker sped clear of his markers but Dudek again rescued Liverpool by diverting his shot on to the post.—Reuters