Mikel Arteta Reacts After Arsenal Beat Manchester City 3:0 To Win Community Shield
- Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the 2026 Community Shield in Cardiff, claiming their 18th title in the competition
- Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard gave the Gunners a commanding victory over the FA Cup holders
- Arteta said he was surprised by the level of his squad's performance given how recently several players had returned from pre-season
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Arsenal delivered a commanding statement on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 football season, defeating Manchester City 3-0 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Sunday, August 16, to lift the Community Shield and claim their 18th title in the competition.
The victory was wrapped up almost before Man City had time to settle.
Source: Getty Images
After just 23 seconds, Myles Lewis-Skelly found Riccardo Calafiori with a precise pass through the City defence, and the Italian slotted the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma to give Arsenal the earliest possible advantage, per BBC Sports.
Arsenal's dominant display in Cardiff
Arteta's side did not let up.
In the 28th minute, summer signing Christos Tzolis nodded Martin Odegaard's cross back across the box, and Kai Havertz met it with a downward header to double the lead.
Arsenal put the result beyond any doubt three minutes into the second half when Tzolis again played a key role, releasing Odegaard inside the City penalty area.
The Norwegian captain showed composure and creativity, dropping Donnarumma to the ground with a dummy before rolling the ball into the far corner.
The win handed Arsenal their second trophy in just four months, following the Premier League title, and the result added another record to a growing list for a club that has rediscovered its winning habit under Arteta.
Arteta reacts after Community Shield win
Speaking after the final whistle, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made no effort to hide his satisfaction, though he admitted he had not quite expected his squad to hit such heights so early in the campaign, Sky Sports reports.
"A really good performance so early in the season," he said.
"To play at that level and to show the desire that we showed and their reaction. I was really impressed and I said to them that I really enjoyed watching them play."
Arteta revealed that several members of his Arsenal squad had only reported back for pre-season days before the match, making the performance all the more notable in his view.
"I'm a bit surprised because in pre-season, we had three different groups. Eight or nine arrived just five days ago to get tested, they trained two days and to play in that manner is extremely impressive. It tells you how much those players want it, the level of desire we have and the quality we have."
Arsenal eye historic back-to-back title
The last club to win the Community Shield and go on to claim the Premier League title in the same season was Manchester City in 2018/19, a campaign in which they completed a domestic treble.
While a positive result in August carries no guarantee of what follows in May, Sunday's performance gives Arsenal considerable cause for optimism as they chase back-to-back top-flight championships for the first time in 91 years.
With confidence high, squad depth on display, and the summer signing of Tzolis already making an impact, Arteta's Arsenal appear well-positioned to mount a sustained title defence in the season ahead.
Supercomputer predicts Arsenal EPL chances
Legit.ng previously reported on Opta's supercomputer's released forecast for the 2026/27 Premier League season, covering the title race, European qualification spots, and relegation battles across 10,000 simulated campaigns.
The data gives Arsenal a 38% chance of successfully defending their crown, making them clear favourites ahead of the rest of the field. Manchester City follow at 20.5% as Enzo Maresca steps into the role vacated by Pep Guardiola, who defined an era at the Etihad Stadium.
Source: Legit.ng
