Arsenal secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring after just 24.5 seconds. Goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard sealed the win, marking a disappointing start for new City manager Enzo Maresca.
Calafiori's early strike sets the tone
Calafiori's opener came after a brilliant pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly, leaving City with an early deficit. Havertz doubled Arsenal's lead on 28 minutes, and Ødegaard effectively sealed the win three minutes into the second half, fooling goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma before finishing.
The match was played at the Principality Stadium for the first time since 2006, due to The Weeknd's concert at Wembley. Arsenal's victory was the biggest in the competition since they beat City in 2014, when Mikel Arteta captained the side.
City's struggles without Rodri
City, missing Rodri amid doubts over his future, lacked control. Elliot Anderson struggled on his competitive debut after his £116m move from Nottingham Forest. City had played only three pre-season matches this month, while Arsenal had six outings since the World Cup.
Arsenal were crisp in possession and exposed City across the pitch. Donnarumma was unconvincing in goal, at fault for Arsenal's second and embarrassed for the third. Ødegaard feigned a shot, sending Donnarumma to his left, then fired a simple finish to the right.
Arsenal's title defence begins
Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence at home to Coventry on Friday. They remain in the market for a centre-back. Bruno Guimarães was busy in his first competitive outing, and Christos Tzolis shone on the left flank, involved in most of Arsenal's good work.
For City, who host Bournemouth next Sunday, there was little to cheer. Erling Haaland's only real chance ended with a wayward shot wide of David Raya's goal. Arsenal cruised to victory, with Arteta saying before the game: "We want to build on what we achieved and continue to have the ambition to win major trophies. That starts today."
