Arsenal crush Manchester City 3-0 to claim 18th Community Shield in Cardiff

Fast start

Arsenal needed only 23 seconds to break through at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, where the 103rd edition of the Community Shield pitted the reigning Premier League champions against the FA Cup winners. Nineteen-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly slipped a ball behind the Manchester City defence for Riccardo Calafiori, who finished to make it 1-0 in the first minute. The Italian defender's early strike set the tone for a one-sided match. Calafiori nearly added a second before half-time, with an opportunity in the 43rd minute, while Odegaard also came close in the 45th+2 minute as Arsenal pressed for a third before the interval.

Arsenal's dominance

City attempted to respond through Phil Foden in the 20th minute, but goalkeeper David Raya turned away the effort. Arsenal doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Christos Tzolis headed a cross into the path of Kai Havertz, who scored with a header. It was only the fourth touch Havertz had taken since the match began. Tzolis, a summer signing from Brugge, was involved again in the build-up alongside Martin Odegaard. Erling Haaland was twice denied by Raya before half-time, first in the 36th and again in the 40th minute, as Arsenal's defence refused to yield. Doku also saw an effort repelled in the 41st minute. Bruno Guimaraes, another new arrival, fitted seamlessly into Mikel Arteta's system alongside Tzolis.

Odegaard seals it

Martin Odegaard put the result beyond doubt in the 48th minute, latching onto another Tzolis assist on the left and beating Donnarumma with his left foot after getting ahead of Gvardiol. The goal was Odegaard's first for Arsenal in 2026, ending a drought that dated back to December 2025 against Brighton in the Premier League. The 27-year-old Norwegian had come close just before half-time, in the 45th+2 minute. After the third goal, Arsenal managed the tempo comfortably, retaining possession in their own half and waiting for the final whistle.

Maresca's difficult debut

The defeat fell on Enzo Maresca, who was taking charge of Manchester City for the first time in an official match after replacing Pep Guardiola. Guardiola departed in the summer after 20 trophies in 10 seasons, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League. Maresca's City side looked disjointed defensively, with the Italian technician unable to impose his ideas in his first competitive outing. Rayan Cherki, introduced at the hour mark, tested Raya with a curled effort from outside the box in the 73rd minute, and Semenyo had a chance in the 81st, but Arsenal saw out the match without alarm. The changes Maresca made failed to shift the momentum.

What's next

Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign on Friday against Coventry, while Maresca faces a longer adaptation period at City. The Community Shield is Arsenal's 18th in the competition, bringing them to within three of Manchester United's record of 21 titles. It is the first time Arsenal have lifted the trophy since 2023.

Arsenal18

Manchester United21

Arsenal

18 titles

Manchester United

21 titles

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