Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta made sure to get his message across to David Raya after Kai Havertz extended the Gunners' lead against Manchester City in the Community Shield
David Raya and Mikel Arteta exchange words during Arsenal vs Manchester City in the 2026 Community Shield final
David Raya and Mikel Arteta exchange words during Arsenal vs Manchester City in the 2026 Community Shield final(Image: TNT Sports)
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wasted little time celebrating Kai Havertz's goal and instead made sure to get a message across to goalkeeper David Raya. An animated Arteta cast a serious expression as he spoke to Raya while other Gunners' stars commemorated their second goal of the day.
It appeared to be an intense exchange rather than an argument, with Spain's World Cup winner Raya gesturing up the field as he engaged in conversation with his manager. It appeared neither was in the mood to allow standards to drop with the start of the Premier League season a matter of days away.
"We're up 2-nil and Arteta is still telling Raya what he needs to improve lmao. Man is a demon." said one fan on X.
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Another believes that Raya went seeking clarification, however. "David Raya went to Mikel Arteta for more notes instead of going to celebrate the 2nd goal," they said.
Arsenal took the lead over their Premier League rivals thanks to a first-minute goal from Riccardo Calafiori. Myles Lewis-Skelly's pass unlocked City's defence as the Italian got the new term off to a fast start.
While Havertz doubled his side's advantage after 28 minutes, following some clumsy goalkeeping from Gianluigi Donnarumma, Raya still had to be alert. He got down well to save a curling shot from Phil Foden before making a strong close-range save from Erling Haaland later in the half.
Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's second goal(Image: Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)
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The Spaniard made his first start of the summer after returning from a successful World Cup campaign. Arsenal's No.1 was only the understudy to Unai Simon as Luis de la Fuente's side found success in the United States.
It was business as usual for Raya at the Principality Stadium as he made a swift return to Arsenal's starting lineup. Kepa Arrizabalaga has enjoyed most minutes guarding the Gunners' net in pre-season, while new addition Illian Meslier has also featured.
And if Arsenal can continue their form, Arteta may just use the time after his side have scored to get further information to his players. The head coach was also spotted relaying information to Ben White after Martin Odegaard scored the Gunners' third goal just minutes after the half-time break.
Former Manchester City midfielder Izzy Christiansen believes Arteta has picked up exactly where he left off. "You can feel the intensity of the stadium and how Arsenal played," she told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"They were front-footed, scored within 30 seconds and slowed it down a little bit towards the end of the first half.
"I think Mikel Arteta has picked up where he left off and he's treating the game like a Premier League fixture. Whereas I think City are exactly where we thought they'd be."