Cardiff Is Red: Mind the Gap as Arsenal usher in an era of Gunners dominance after routing woeful City
In front of 58,056 fans on a hot Sunday afternoon in the Welsh capital Mikel Arteta’s superb side laid down a significant early marker against City in their bid to land back-to-back title triumphs
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Cardiff Is Red. A fiery Welsh dragon I spotted at Cardiff Castle on a quick pre-match stroll around the city centre before I covered Arsenal outclassing Manchester City 3-0 to lift the 2026 Community Shield. CREDIT: Layth (@laythy29)
1 - Mind the Gap: Majestic Arsenal usher in an era of Gunners dominance
Amid the Manchester City joy at the final whistle at the Etihad on Sunday, April 19, after Pep Guardiola’s side had beaten Arsenal 2-1, to compund the Gunners loss to Bournemouth the weekend before, Declan Rice stood firm on the pitch, insisting to all and sundry: ‘It’s not done yet.’
The England midfielder was true to his word, and exactly a month later, with City unable to beat the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium, Mikel Arteta’s side won the Premier League title for the first time in 22 long, long years, prompting an outpouring of joy, not just in North London, but all over the world, culminating in 1.5m fans lining the streets of Islington during the celebration parade.
Good times.
But now the new season is just about upon us, Arsenal have already laid down a marker in a bid to establish dominance over a City side that will undoubtably have the phrase ‘in transition’ labelled at them after Pep’s departure, and the appointment of the still unproven Enzo Maresca. Unless, that is, you value winning the World Club Cup...
The fact is City looked weak, and so far off the pace on Sunday as to be utterly woeful, given the levels they have been operating at under Guardiola for the last decade.
If you throw in the fact that key players Bernardo Silva and John Stones have already left the Etihad, with the World Cup’s player of the tournament Rodri set to join Barcelona, while Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and future England keeper James Trafford have all been sold this summer, Maresca’s City is already a far different beast to the all conquering (until last season) side under Guardiola.
Whether they are a dangerously wounded animal, or simply a weak target we will find out in the coming weeks and months. But for now, after a glorious Gunners performance in Cardiff, Arsenal are in the ascendancy. Long may it continue.
2 - Victoria Concordia Crescit
Enough about ailing City, the focus should rightly be on rampant Arsenal beating Manchester City to lift the 2026 Community Shield on a glorious afternoon in south Wales.
Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard secured a comprehensive victory for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League champions in the Welsh capital.
Wherever you looked there was top quality in every single position.
From David Raya keeping a clean sheet while the World Cup winner picked up another victors’ medal, to Ben White ensuring Cherki wasn’t laughing this time around, to Gabriel, our King of Brazil becoming the King of Cardiff after helping to shut out City. Not to mention Mosquera making us ponder: ‘William who?’
While Calafiori’s strike after only 23 seconds - his second goal vs City among his five career Arsenal goals so far - set the tone for a dominant afternoon.
As for Myles Lewis-Skelly, Chelsea simply can’t afford this lad. And Arsenal can’t afford to let him go. It was also good to see the 19-year-old dovetail so effectively with Bruno Guimaraes, as the Gunners latest signing picked up a medal in his first competitive game.
And let’s not forget Tzolis after another superb performance from Arsenal’s 21st century Brian Marwood who posted two assists, leaving Arteta to say after the match: “I think he’s coming to the team really organically; he’s fitting, he’s a really intelligent boy and he has a massive quality which is when he’s in the last 20-30 metres.
“He’s so composed to pick people out around the box or to finish actions, and he’s shown that again two or three times and he was decisive.”
A word also on Odegaard, who performed at the level we all know he’s capable of week in, week out - a captain’s display rounded off with his first goal of 2026 to cap an excellent display.
And that’s without mentioning Noni Madueke, who looked lively in spells as the England attacker gradually found his feet after his exertions for the Three Lions this summer
And of course, fit again goalscorer Havertz: £60m down the drain...
The future’s bright, the future’s Arsenal
Care if you may, to then cast an eye over our subs bench in Cardiff…
Declan ‘it’s not done’ Rice. Bukayo Saka who looked lively after his World Cup break when on for Madueke on the hour mark, and could have grabbed a couple of goals.
While Viktor Gyokeres, World Cup winner Martin Zubimendi, and Eberechi Eze also all coming on, the future is so bright for the Premier League champions
And we haven’t spoken about Max Dowman, who didn’t even come on..
After the match, when asked if our midfield is the best in the world, Arteta replied: “It’s the best midfield for Arsenal, that’s for sure.
“That’s what we have to make it, everybody complements with their qualities to the player next to them and that we have this variability, that diversity with the qualities that we need in relation to the opponent.
“Today again, we’ve seen it, we’ve changed it, and we bring other qualities in different moments of the game, and that’s a really strong thing to have.”
No wonder so many Gooners are excited about the new campaign.
3 - Bring on the new season
In front of 58,056 fans on a hot Sunday afternoon in the Welsh capital Mikel Arteta’s side laid down a significant marker against rivals City in their bid to land back-to-back title triumphs for the first time since the 1930s.
Speaking after the game, when asked if the psychological impact of being champions helped Arsenal, Arteta responded by saying:“Probably there’s more belief.
“You know how to do it, you know what it takes to win it and the contribution of everybody because last season that was the biggest asset of the team: that every single player contributed to make us champions.
“We know that’s going to be exactly the same.”
As the clock ticked down, Saka almost made it four, but lifted his effort over the bar, as gleeful Gooners chorused: ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,’ and other less charitable ditties aimed at Maresca, and his demoralised side.
No wonder Gooners also sang: “second again,” at City, in a self-deprecating nod to their own three painful seasons as runners-up.
After a decade of City’s overwhelming dominance, the Gunners’ Cardiff display appears to usher in a new era, one in which Arteta’s Arsenal command the top level of English football.
Bring on the new season. I for one, can’t wait
…….
To watch video of my take from the press box after the Community Shield click here
For further videos from Cardiff see my Twitter account @laythy29 here and the Gooner Fanzine Facebook pagehere
Layth’s Take is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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