Arsenal had a 3-0 win against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday. This big win shows they are ready for their Premier League title defense.
Mikel Arteta’s team used this annual match to show that winning the title last season has not quenched their thirst for success.
The Gunners wasted no time, scoring just 24 seconds in to show new City manager Enzo Maresca what it takes to keep up with the champions.
Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring quickly, followed by a well-placed header from Kai Havertz before halftime.
Arsenal dominated a sloppy City with their usual intensity. Martin Odegaard scored after the break, sealing a convincing victory.
The friendly match at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium also let Arteta showcase Arsenal’s new signings.
Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Newcastle for £75 million ($101 million), fitted into midfield smoothly. Christos Tzolis, who came from Club Brugge for £34 million, also impressed with two assists.
This is the first time the north London team will start a season as champions since the 2004-05 season.
Arsenal is already seen as favorites to win back-to-back English titles, something they haven’t done since the 1930s. They look ready to be a strong force in the Premier League.
Their exciting performance was a great warm-up before Coventry comes to the Emirates Stadium for the first Premier League game on August 21.
This was a tough lesson for Maresca, who must have seen how much sharper and more united Arsenal looked compared to his struggling team.
Pep Guardiola won 20 trophies in a successful decade in Manchester. He took the FA Cup and League Cup in his last season. But City has not won the title since 2024, finishing seven points behind Arsenal last season.
Maresca was chosen to replace Guardiola after leaving Chelsea in January. His time there was rocky, lasting less than two seasons. Now he knows it will take a lot of work to catch up with Arsenal, starting with their first match against Bournemouth at home on August 23.
Arteta believes his players are still “hungry” for trophies. Their painful loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on penalties in May is motivating them this season.
Arsenal took less than a minute to make Arteta's point clear with a well-crafted first goal.
Myles Lewis-Skelly played in midfield for Arsenal despite interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. The young player showed why he is sought after with a clever pass that split the City defense.
Calafiori ran onto Lewis-Skelly’s ball, dodging City’s poor marking to slot a cool finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma from 12 yards out.
Calafiori’s goal was the fastest in the Community Shield since 1968. Arsenal struck again in the 27th minute.
Martin Odegaard found space to send a cross to the far post. Tzolis, left unmarked by Abdukodir Khusanov, headed it back into the six-yard box. Havertz jumped above Ruben Dias to nod it home.
In his first big match for City after his £116 million move from Nottingham Forest, Elliot Anderson struggled to make an impact.
City star Erling Haaland was mostly quiet, missing two good chances in the first half.
Arsenal captain Odegaard showed his Norway teammate how it’s done just three minutes after the break.
Tzolis passed to Odegaard, who danced through the City defense. He left Donnarumma confused with a clever dummy and finished from close range.
Only City, in 2019, has gone on to win the Premier League among the last 15 Community Shield winners.
Based on their easy win in Cardiff, Arsenal’s 18th Community Shield victory might not be the last trophy Odegaard lifts this season.
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