Edited by Paul Elegbeleye | Photo: Seth Whales / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the FA Community Shield on Sunday at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, claiming their 18th title in the competition.
Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after just 23 seconds, the fastest goal in the fixture since 1968, before Kai Havertz doubled the lead on 28 minutes and Martin Ødegaard sealed victory three minutes into the second half.
The result gave Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions their first trophy of the new season and handed Enzo Maresca a rough opening game in charge of City following Pep Guardiola’s departure this summer.
BBC Sport journalist Joe Rindl described the win as a “statement” from Arsenal over their fiercest rivals. Arteta himself struck a similar tone afterwards, telling reporters he was “extremely happy” with the performance. “I am obviously extremely happy with the performance, the result, and winning the first trophy,” Arteta said.
“I think it is down to the preparation we have done in pre-season.” He added that the squad’s early return from World Cup duty played a part, crediting “the decisions the boys took after the World Cup, to continue to get prepared.”
For Maresca, the afternoon offered little comfort in his first competitive match as City boss. Speaking to the BBC afterwards, he admitted the early setback shaped the rest of the game. “I think the goal we conceded after 25 seconds unfortunately affected the game at that moment,” Maresca said. “We had three or four chances to score and draw the game, but unfortunately we conceded the second one, and it became more complicated.”
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How Arsenal Raced Into Control
Arsenal wasted no time asserting themselves in Cardiff. Ben White found Myles Lewis-Skelly early on, and the teenager slipped a clever through-ball into Calafiori’s path, who finished calmly past Gianluigi Donnarumma to open the scoring inside the opening minute.
City struggled to respond. Phil Foden tested David Raya from distance, yet Arsenal soon doubled their advantage. Noni Madueke fed Odegaard, who clipped a cross towards summer signing Christos Tzolis. The Greek winger nodded the ball back across goal for Havertz, who headed home for his third goal in as many starts.
Odegaard put the game beyond reach shortly after the restart. Tzolis drove at the City defence and picked out his captain’s run, and Odegaard skipped past Joško Gvardiol before dinking the ball into an empty net. It was his first goal since December, following an injury-hit 2025/26 campaign.
Records Tumble in Arsenal’s Rout
Arsenal’s victory ranks among the most emphatic in Community Shield history. According to figures published after the match, this was the competition’s biggest margin of victory since 2014, when Arsenal beat the same opponent by an identical scoreline under Arsène Wenger. Match data also showed Odegaard completed 55 of his 58 attempted passes and won possession back more times than any other player on the pitch.
Tzolis made an immediate impression too. His two assists made him the first player to register multiple assists in a Community Shield game since David Beckham achieved the feat for Manchester United in 1996. Meanwhile, Havertz extended a remarkable personal record, since he has now been directly involved in more goals against Manchester City than against any other club he has faced during his career.
City, by contrast, endured their heaviest defeat under a new manager’s first match since 1906. Maresca also had to navigate a turbulent backdrop off the pitch. City confirmed they had accepted a £65.4 million bid from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri, who missed Sunday’s match entirely following back surgery after the World Cup.
A New Season Awaits
Attention now turns quickly to the Premier League season. Arsenal open their title defence at home to newly promoted Coventry City on Friday evening, while City host Bournemouth this coming Sunday. Given the emphatic nature of Sunday’s result, plenty of eyes will be on whether Maresca can steady his new-look squad before the pair meet again later in the campaign.
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