Arsenal's Midfield Too Strong for Manchester City in Community Shield Triumph
The Arsenal Players Celebrate Lifting the Community Shield (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Just five days before the Premier League kicks off under the lights at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal wrapped up their pre-season action in ideal fashion, dispatching of their rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Goals from Ricardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz, and club captain Martin Odegaard came with no reply from the Sky Blues in what turned out to be a comfortable outing in Cardiff.
Whilst Manchester City looked far from their best, Mikel Arteta's men highlighted why they are currently the best team in England, playing with an intensity and a sharpness that bodes well for their upcoming title defence.
One of the key talking points behind the win has to be the effectiveness of a fresh, new look Gunners midfield that provided the perfect balance of determined off the ball work and silky, free flowing combinations.
Midfield Brilliance the Difference
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CARDIFF, WALES - AUGUST 16: Myles Lewis-Skelly hands Bruno Guimaraes of Arsenal a bottle of water during the 2026 FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Principality Stadium on August 16, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
CARDIFF, WALES - AUGUST 16: Myles Lewis-Skelly hands Bruno Guimaraes of Arsenal a bottle of water during the 2026 FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Principality Stadium on August 16, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
With Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi being eased back into action following deep runs into the World Cup, Mikel Arteta fielded a very different midfield to what Arsenal fans had become accustomed to seeing throughout their title winning campaign.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has been a feature in midfield throughout pre-season, started alongside £75 million new man Bruno Guimaraes, offering a very different type of partnership and underlining the strength in depth that the Gunners have at their disposal.
The two were accompanied by Martin Odegaard who, off the back of a relatively quiet season, led Norway to the World Cup quarter final, and will enter his sixth full season as an Arsenal player with heaps of confidence.
From the very onset, the North London outfit revealed their new midfield blueprint, with Lewis-Skelly smartly turning away from Phil Foden before expertly slipping in Calafiori, who had made a marauding run through the heart of midfield, to fire home within the opening 24 seconds of the final.
The Arsenal number 49 continued to work tirelessly, and in the absence of Rodri and Bernardo Silva in the City engine room, the Gunners dominated the central third of the pitch, interchanging effectively with Havertz dropping deep at times to drag out the Manchester City defence.
Odegaard Dictates the Tempo
Dictating the tempo however was the responsibility of captain Odegaard who delivered a man of the match performance transitioning the ball from defence to attack and playing a core role in everything good that his side produced.
The intricate passing, the delicate ball control, the flair, and the overall sense of enjoyment that surrounded the Norwegian's display ultimately culminated in a deserved goal to put Arsenal 3-0 up just minutes after the resumption of the second half.
Christos Tzolis cut inside from the left flank and slotted a ball into the path of Odegaard whose first touch deftly took him away from Josko Gvardiol before steadying himself, sitting down Gianluigi Donnarumma with a clever dummy, and slotting the ball into the bottom left corner.
It was the crowning moment to a performance that Gunners fans will hope will be sustained throughout the course of the next nine months.
Selection Headache Ahead of the Opener
When the final whistle was blown by referee Sam Barrott, Arteta's midfield had completely changed with Rice and Zubimendi resuming their partnership behind Eberechi Eze in the 10 position, further demonstrating the sheer quality that the Premier League Champions have to work with in their engine room.
Overall, a commanding display from Arsenal has set them up beautifully for their opening match of the Premier League season against Frank Lampard's newly promoted Coventry. It remains to be seen how Arteta organises his midfield for the clash in N5, with fierce competition for places becoming a greatly appreciated selection headache.
Martin Ødegaard celebrates Arsenal's third goal against City (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Martin Ødegaard celebrates Arsenal's third goal against City (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal lift the Community Shield once again Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Arsenal lift the Community Shield once again Photo by Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)