Arsenal kicked off the new season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium. The champions, who ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title in May, showcased their strength against Enzo Maresca's City.
The scoring began early, with Riccardo Calafiori finding the net after just 20 seconds, assisted by Myles Lewis-Skelly. Kai Havertz then doubled Arsenal's lead, followed by captain Martin Ødegaard, who rounded off the scoring to make it 3-0.
The match was the first significant fixture for Enzo Maresca since taking over from Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager. Arsenal's squad, bolstered by additions like Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis, appeared to be in strong form, leading some to consider them clear favourites to defend their Premier League crown.