Alan Pardew has declared Arsenal look 'head and shoulders' above their Premier League rivals as they prepare to defend their title. The Gunners secured the Community Shield with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Manchester City at the Principality Stadium.
Community Shield success
Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after just 23 seconds, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard adding goals either side of half-time. Christos Tzolis impressed on his debut, assisting both Havertz and Odegaard, while marquee signing Bruno Guimaraes also made his first appearance for the north Londoners.
Only Manchester United (21) have won the Community Shield more times than Arsenal (18). Mikel Arteta has now won the prize three times as a manager, having also won it twice as a player.
Pardew's verdict
Speaking on talkSPORT, Pardew praised Arsenal's £75million deal for Guimaraes, calling it an 'outstanding signing'. He highlighted the continuity at the club as a key advantage, noting that other clubs have new managers.
'It's going to be a tough season but at the moment you have to say wow, they look head and shoulders [above the rest] at the moment,' Pardew said. He also suggested Arsenal could add another 'big star' to their squad after missing out on Vinicius Junior.
Title defence ahead
Arsenal finished last season with a seven-point advantage over City in Pep Guardiola's final year as head coach. They begin their Premier League campaign on Friday at home to newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates.
Pardew noted that Arsenal's players carry the confidence of champions and that the Community Shield performance showed they are 'mentally strong' compared to a Manchester City side that 'looked like they were just getting through it'.
