Arsenal dominated Manchester City 3-0 to lift the Community Shield on Sunday afternoon as they finalised pre-season preparations with the first trophy of the new campaign.
In a performance full of bright spots, captain Martin Ødegaard was the standout with his goal, trickery and control of the game. Having battled through injuries for the past year and beyond, it was a significant bounce back moment for the skipper, playing with the swagger and joy that makes him an extremely dangerous player for the Gunners.
New signing Christos Tzolis continued his impressive pre-season form, racking up another two assists in the Community Shield while showcasing his creativity around the box and tactical awareness to switch between hugging the touchline and drifting inside to overload the centre.
While Kai Havertz was another who made a statement performance, using his smart movement for his headed goal and physicality to help Arsenal get up pitch and keep attacks moving quickly and help sustain pressure. The moment he went to the bench, there was a noticeable drop-off.
For all of the talk about adding a superstar attacker, Ødegaard and Havertz staying fit this season will be a huge boost, and Tzolis hitting the ground running could be exactly the lift the team needs to score more goals.
And that might be just what Arsenal need to win the title.
Change has been the theme of the summer across the Premier League, including new managers for Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, squad overhauls, and others such as Manchester United now faced with the added games of European football. Arsenal are the consistent force and running it back with largely the same personnel is the advantage.
There’s still gaps in the squad, notably defensive cover for the absent William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, and players in contention for a move, with Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all left out of Sunday’s squad, but the manner of the win over Manchester City shows that the Gunners are in good stead.
Although arguably the most important squad planning ahead is getting Mikel Arteta’s contract signed for a few more years.
The Premier League season kicks off at 8pm on Friday night with Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City in the opener. Last season’s league win was a huge achievement for the club, who now have a taste for more trophies this campaign.
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