Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal that retaining the Premier League title will require something “special” after his side demolished Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield.
Arsenal could hardly have produced a stronger competitive start to the new campaign.
Riccardo Calafiori struck after just 24 seconds in Cardiff before Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard completed an emphatic victory against Enzo Maresca’s City.
Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield victory offered an immediate reminder of the standard Arteta’s champions are carrying into their title defence.
The Arsenal manager, however, knows what happens next would be even more significant.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are now the holders of the Premier League and Community Shield 💪 pic.twitter.com/YiwKx4hP5h
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Mikel Arteta sets huge Arsenal title challenge
Arsenal are attempting to win successive English league titles for the first time since 1934/35, having ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League crown last season.
Arteta acknowledged the scale of that challenge after beating City.
He said Arsenal know retaining the title will demand “something special”, while explaining that experiencing last season’s success has only increased the squad’s desire to repeat it.
That hunger was obvious on Sunday.
Calafiori’s lightning-fast opener immediately put City under pressure, while Arsenal continued attacking rather than protecting their advantage.
Christos Tzolis also impressed, with Arteta praising the £34m winger’s intelligence and composure after he played a major role in Arsenal’s attacking performance.
The depth available to Arteta was underlined further by the absence of several established players.
Arteta admitted he was “really sad” to leave Ethan Nwaneri out because of restrictions on the size of his matchday bench.
Arsenal now turn towards Friday’s Premier League opener against Coventry City.
One Community Shield win guarantees nothing.
But Arteta has already made the target clear: Arsenal are not approaching the new campaign simply as champions. They want to achieve something the club has not managed for 91 years.
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