Adedokun Waliyu Arsenal powered to a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, sending an early warning ahead of their Premier League title defence.
Mikel Arteta’s side used the annual curtain-raiser to the English top-flight season to demonstrate that winning the league has not reduced their hunger for more silverware.
The Gunners needed just 24 seconds to show new Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca the standard required to compete with the champions.
Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring with a quick finish before Kai Havertz doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a header before half-time.
Arsenal continued to dominate after the break, with Martin Odegaard scoring the third goal to complete a convincing victory over a disjointed City side.
The match at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium also gave Arteta an opportunity to showcase Arsenal’s new signings.
Bruno Guimaraes, signed from Newcastle for £75 million, settled into midfield comfortably, while Christos Tzolis, signed from Club Brugge for £34 million, impressed with an energetic performance that included two assists.
Arsenal will begin the new campaign as defending champions for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
The club is already regarded as one of the favourites to win consecutive English league titles for the first time since the 1930s.
Arsenal’s next competitive fixture will be against promoted Coventry at the Emirates Stadium on August 21.
For Maresca, the result provided a difficult introduction to life at Manchester City. Arsenal looked more dynamic and cohesive throughout the match, highlighting the size of the challenge facing the new City boss.
Pep Guardiola won 20 trophies during his decade in Manchester, including the FA Cup and League Cup in his final season. However, City have not won the Premier League title since 2024 and finished seven points behind Arsenal in second place last season.
Maresca was appointed to succeed Guardiola after leaving Chelsea in January following a turbulent spell of less than two seasons. His first Premier League match in charge of City will be at home against Bournemouth on August 23.
Rampant Arsenal
Arteta has said his players remain hungry for trophies, with their painful Champions League final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in May providing additional motivation.
Arsenal took less than a minute to demonstrate that determination.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, who featured in midfield despite reported interest from Chelsea and Manchester United, produced a clever pass that split the City defence.
Calafiori raced onto the pass, took advantage of poor marking and calmly finished from 12 yards past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The goal was the fastest scored in the Community Shield since 1968.
Arsenal doubled their lead in the 27th minute. Odegaard was given room to deliver a cross towards the far post, where Tzolis headed the ball back into the six-yard box. Havertz rose above Ruben Dias to head the ball into the net.
City’s new £116 million signing Elliot Anderson struggled to influence the game during his first major appearance for the club.
Erling Haaland was also largely ineffective and missed two good chances in the first half.
Odegaard then added Arsenal’s third goal three minutes after half-time. Tzolis played the ball into his path, allowing the Arsenal captain to weave through the City defence before deceiving Donnarumma with a clever dummy and finishing from close range.
Only Manchester City, in 2019, have gone on to win the Premier League after lifting the Community Shield among the previous 15 winners of the competition.
Arsenal’s performance suggests their 18th Community Shield triumph could be the first of several trophies they challenge for this season.
