Arsenal vs Man City: 5 Things We Learned as Gunners outclass hapless Cityzens in Community Shield

Arsenal produced a dominant display to claim the first trophy of the season with a 3-0 victory over Manchester City at the Principality Stadium. Here are five key takeaways from the Community Shield.

Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after just 24 seconds, finishing a superb reverse pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Kai Havertz doubled the lead in the 28th minute, heading home after Christos Tzolis nodded Ødegaard's cross back across goal.

Martin Ødegaard made it 3-0 early in the second half, calmly slotting past Donnarumma following another Tzolis assist. Mikel Arteta's Premier League champions controlled the contest, looking sharp and clinical, while Enzo Maresca's City side, in their first competitive game after Pep Guardiola's departure, struggled to create clear chances despite more possession

1. Life after Pep not smooth for City

Enzo Maresca's first competitive match in charge of Manchester City exposed the challenges of succeeding Pep Guardiola. City controlled more possession yet looked disjointed, lacked intensity in transitions, and created little meaningful threat. The heavy defeat underlined how difficult the post-Guardiola transition will be, with the new manager facing an immediate uphill task to restore the side's previous standards.

2. Tzolis impresses on debut

New signing Christos Tzolis delivered an outstanding competitive debut for Arsenal. The Greek forward provided the assists for both Kai Havertz's header and Martin Ødegaard's clinical second-half finish. His intelligent movement, sharp link-up play, and composure in the final third marked him out as a player who could play a significant role in Arteta's plans this season.

3. Martinelli, Nwaneri nearing exit

Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri were both left out of Arsenal's squad entirely. Their absence from such a high-profile fixture fuels growing speculation that the pair could be on the move before the transfer window closes. With new attacking options arriving and competition for places intensifying, both players appear increasingly likely to seek regular football elsewhere.

4. Arsenal look fluid in attack

Arsenal's forward play was sharp, varied, and clinical. From Calafiori's early strike to the well-worked second and third goals, the Gunners moved the ball with purpose and exploited spaces ruthlessly. The combination of creativity from Ødegaard, intelligent running from Havertz, and the impact of new arrivals suggested a more dynamic and multi-dimensional attacking unit than in recent seasons.

5. Donnarumma needs to step up

Gianluigi Donnarumma endured a difficult afternoon. He was beaten for all three goals and looked uncertain at times, particularly on the second and third strikes. While some of the defending in front of him was poor, the Italian goalkeeper will need to raise his level quickly if City are to compete at the highest level under Maresca.