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For Enzo Maresca, a miserable first meaningful game in charge of Manchester City that began with Arsenal seizing the lead after 24.5 seconds ended with Mikel Arteta’s side lifting the Community Shield. Arsenal eviscerated City, Riccardo Calafiori’s smart opener after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s brilliant pass seemingly leaving their opponents with irrecoverable damage. Kai Havertz doubled Arsenal’s lead on 28 minutes and Martin Ødegaard in effect sealed the win three minutes into the second half, fooling Gianluigi Donnarumma in the City goal before finishing. On this evidence, the post-Pep era could be trickier than widely envisaged.
Calafiori’s early strike in Cardiff provided the perfect tonic for Arsenal to continue the party atmosphere that electrified their Premier League title parade across north London at the end of May. The importance of this victory will be debated but by winning this competition, back at the Principality Stadium for the first time since 2006 owing to The Weeknd’s gig at Wembley, they have put down an impressive marker as they look to build on last season’s success. City, without Rodri amid doubts over his future, lacked any semblance of control. The England midfielder Elliot Anderson struggled on debut following his £116m move from Nottingham Forest.
City had been lightly raced in comparison to their opponents – City played the first of their three pre-season matches this month in Hong Kong, while this represented Arsenal’s sixth outing since the World Cup – and how it showed. Arsenal were crisp in possession, clever in the way they pulled an ominously open City apart. City were exposed across the pitch but Donnarumma was particularly unconvincing in goal, at fault for Arsenal’s second, making a hash of his attempt to keep out Havertz’s header, and embarrassed for the third. Ødegaard delighted in feinting to shoot, sending Donnarumma seesawing to his left, and then promptly firing in a simple finish to the goalkeeper’s right. “Can we play you every week?” came the chant from the Arsenal support.
For Arsenal, who begin their Premier League title defence at home to Coventry in Friday’s curtain-raiser, this impressive display will only heighten hopes of another blockbuster season. Arsenal look well-equipped to fight on several fronts, though remain in the market for a centre-back. Bruno Guimarães was busy in midfield and Christos Tzolis shone on the left flank, involved in almost all of Arsenal’s good work.
It was Tzolis’s fine header from Ødegaard’s cross that allowed Havertz to double Arsenal’s lead. For City, who host Bournemouth next Sunday, there was little to whet the appetite. Erling Haaland’s only real chance, towards the end of the first half, ended with the striker sending a wayward shot wide of David Raya’s goal after the ball bobbled.
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It was not supposed to be this easy for Arsenal. The previous three Community Shield matches had gone the distance, penalties deciding the winners. Here, that was never on the agenda. Instead Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 victory, the biggest win in the competition since they beat City in 2014, when Arteta captained the side from midfield. “We want to build on what we achieved and continue to have the ambition to win major trophies,” Arteta said before the game. “That starts today.”
