Arsenal Send a Statement With Community Shield Rout

Calafiori Stuns City Inside 24 Seconds

Arsenal needed just 23 seconds to make their mark, with Riccardo Calafiori meeting Myles Lewis-Skelly’s low ball on the edge of the box and slotting into the bottom corner — the fastest Community Shield goal since Bobby Owen’s strike for Manchester City back in 1968. It set the tone for a dominant afternoon for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Kai Havertz doubled the advantage before the break, latching onto a Christos Tzolis assist, before Martin Odegaard rounded off the scoring early in the second half. Tzolis became the first player to register two assists in a Community Shield game since David Beckham in 1996, while Odegaard was named player of the match after completing 55 of 58 passes and winning back possession nine times — the most of any Arsenal player on the pitch.

For Manchester City and new head coach Enzo Maresca, the defeat was a sobering start to the post-Guardiola era. Arsenal’s win matched their heaviest-ever Community Shield margin, repeating the same 3-0 scoreline they posted against City back in 2014, and secured the trophy for the second time in three seasons.

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