Arsenal started the new season in impressive fashion, after defeating Manchester City 3-0 and winning the “Community Shield“. The success brought the “gunners“ the 18th trophy in the history of the competition. Mikel Arteta's team decided the match before the break, and after the third goal at the beginning of the second half, the intrigue finally disappeared. For City, this was the first official match under the leadership of new manager Enzo Maresca.
Arsenal started the match in a dream way. Just 23 seconds after the first referee's signal, Miles Lewis-Skelly found Ricardo Calafiori, who with a precise shot gave the Londoners the lead.
In the 28th minute, the lead was doubled. Martin Odegaard crossed to the far crossbar, where new signing Christos Tsolis passed the ball to Kai Havertz. The German took advantage of the situation and headed it 2:0.
Manchester City had a hard time finding an answer to Arsenal's play. The "Citizens" rarely posed a real threat to David Raya, and the Londoners' goalkeeper still had to intervene when Erling Haaland made a dangerous shot.
After the restart, Arsenal struck the decisive blow. In the 48th minute, Tsolis was again at the heart of the goal, setting up Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian calmly controlled the ball and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma to make it 3:0. This was Tsolis' second assist of the match.
City tried to change the course of events until the end, but failed to turn the tide. David Raya made another impressive save after an attempt by Antoine Semenyo and kept his goal clear. goal.
The match also saw the debuts of several new players. Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tsolis made their first competitive appearance for Arsenal, while Elliot Anderson made his debut for Manchester City.
The trophy is a strong start for Arsenal ahead of the Premier League season and a boost for Arteta's side. For Manchester City, the defeat is a serious warning at the start of a new era under Maresca, who is tasked with building a team capable of maintaining the high standards of the Pep Guardiola era.