What a way to head into the new season!
Arsenal produced an emphatic performance in Cardiff to beat Manchester City 3-0 and lift the Community Shield, giving Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions their first silverware before the title defence begins against Coventry City on Friday.
Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard did the damage, while Christos Tzolis continued his impressive start to life at Arsenal with two assists.
After some questionable defensive displays during pre-season, a 3-0 victory and clean sheet against City was quite the response.
Calafiori gives Arsenal a dream start
Arsenal couldn’t have asked for a better opening.
Just 23 seconds had been played when Myles Lewis-Skelly produced a superb pass to release Calafiori, who finished calmly to give the Gunners an almost immediate 1-0 advantage.
City barely had time to settle into Enzo Maresca’s first competitive game in charge before Arsenal struck again.
This time Tzolis provided the delivery for Havertz, who headed home after 28 minutes to double Arsenal’s advantage.
City threatened through Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, but David Raya dealt with what came his way as Arsenal took a deserved two-goal advantage into the break.
Odegaard finishes the job
If Maresca was hoping for a response from his players after half-time, Arsenal quickly put an end to that idea.
Just three minutes after the restart, Tzolis was involved again, setting up Odegaard to make it 3-0 and effectively put the Community Shield beyond City’s reach.
The Greek international has been one of Arsenal’s standout performers during pre-season, and another two assists against City won’t do his chances of featuring heavily once the Premier League gets underway any harm whatsoever.
Bruno Guimarães was also in the staring XI after he made his Arsenal debut appearance for the club against Como in midweek, adding another glimpse of the midfield options Arteta will have available this season.
A trophy and a statement from the champions
There was plenty to like about this performance.
Three goals, a clean sheet and another trophy – all against Manchester City and while Arsenal were without William Saliba and Jurrien Timber.
After defensive concerns during pre-season, shutting City out was perhaps every bit as encouraging as what happened at the other end.
The Community Shield may be the traditional curtain-raiser, but both Arteta and Maresca had made it clear beforehand that they wanted to win it.
Arsenal did considerably more than that.
They dominated City 3-0 and reminded everyone why they head into the new Premier League campaign as champions.
Next stop: Coventry City at the Emirates on Friday night.
COYG!
What did you make of that performance, Gooners? Who was your Man of the Match, and how impressed have you been with Tzolis so far? Let us know in the comments.
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