Arsenal made a statement at the start of the new campaign, cruising past Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side needed just 23 seconds to break the deadlock. Myles Lewis-Skelly spotted Riccardo Calafiori making a run behind the City defence, and the Italian full-back kept his cool to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma.
City tried to respond, with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both testing David Raya, but Arsenal remained comfortable at the back.
The Gunners then doubled their advantage before the half-hour mark. Martin Odegaard’s delivery was met by Christos Tzolis, who headed the ball across goal for Kai Havertz to nod home from close range.
Haaland had a golden opportunity to pull one back after being released by Jérémy Doku, but his finish flew over. Raya then produced another smart stop to keep Arsenal’s advantage intact before the interval.
There was little change after the restart. Arsenal struck again just three minutes into the second half, with Tzolis once more involved. The Greek forward picked out Odegaard, who sent Donnarumma the wrong way with a clever dummy before calmly finding the far corner.
Maresca turned to his bench in search of a response, but City never truly threatened a comeback. Raya continued to frustrate them, denying both Mateo Kovacic and substitute Antoine Semenyo.
Arsenal therefore lifted the Community Shield in convincing fashion, while City are left with plenty to ponder before the Premier League gets underway.