What you need to know
Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield in Cardiff.
Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard scored for the Gunners.
Arsenal’s new signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis impressed in their first major appearance for the club.
Arsenal have made a strong statement ahead of the new Premier League season after cruising to a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Mikel Arteta’s champions produced an impressive display at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday, showing that their hunger for more silverware remains intact after finally ending their long wait for the Premier League title.
Read original: BendelNews
Arsenal needed just 24 seconds to take the lead, with Riccardo Calafiori finishing off a fast start to immediately put pressure on City and their new manager, Enzo Maresca.
Kai Havertz then doubled the advantage before half-time with a well-taken header as Arsenal punished a disjointed Manchester City side.
The Gunners continued to control proceedings after the break, with Martin Odegaard adding a third goal to complete a convincing victory.
The result offered Arteta the perfect opportunity to showcase Arsenal’s new recruits ahead of the Premier League campaign.
Bruno Guimaraes, who joined from Newcastle United for a reported £75 million, fitted comfortably into Arsenal’s midfield, while Christos Tzolis, signed from Club Brugge for £34 million, impressed with an energetic performance that included two assists.
The victory also marks Arsenal’s first season beginning as English champions since the 2004-05 campaign.
With Arsenal already among the favourites to retain the Premier League title, their Community Shield performance will strengthen belief that Arteta’s side could be entering a sustained period of dominance.
Manchester City, meanwhile, face early questions after a flat performance that highlighted the gap in intensity and cohesion between the two sides.
Arsenal will now turn their attention to their Premier League title defence, with newly promoted Coventry City set to visit the Emirates Stadium on August 21 for their opening league fixture.
