Arsenal have made an early statement ahead of the new season after defeating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Sunday.
Newsonspot reports that the Premier League champions needed just 23 seconds to take the lead, with Riccardo Calafiori finding the net in a stunning start that immediately put Manchester City under pressure.
Kai Havertz doubled Arsenal’s advantage in the 28th minute, rising to head the ball past City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from close range.
Captain Martin Odegaard completed the emphatic victory three minutes into the second half. The Arsenal skipper produced a clever dummy to wrong-foot Donnarumma before calmly slotting the ball into an unguarded net.
The defeat marked a difficult start to Enzo Maresca’s first competitive match in charge of Manchester City following the end of the Pep Guardiola era.
The Community Shield, which traditionally serves as the curtain-raiser to the English football season, provided an early opportunity to assess two clubs expected to compete for major honours this campaign.
While Arsenal delivered a dominant performance and lifted the trophy in convincing fashion, Manchester City will have plenty to consider after being outplayed for much of the encounter.
