Mikel Arteta may have provided a huge advantage to Manchester City after beating them in the Community Shield on Sunday
: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, and Enzo Maresca, Manager of Manchester City, head out prior to the 2026 FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Principality Stadium on August 16, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales.
Arsenal could have given City huge motivation with Sunday's victory(Image: 2026 The FA)
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Arsenal may have inadvertently given Manchester City the upper hand in the title race, despite beating Enzo Maresca's side 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday. Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard secured the first piece of silverware on offer for the 2026/2027 season.
The defending Premier League champions breezed past their rivals, opening the scoring in just 24 seconds through their Italian full-back, and never looked back. Maresca, who was taking charge of City in his first competitive game since succeeding Pep Guardiola this summer, had little in the way of answers to Mikel Arteta's rampaging side.
Yet Arsenal may have just given City the reality check they need. The Gunners' stunning win on Sunday could come back to haunt them if City elect to go big in the market in the last two weeks of the window and secure several major talents as they look to fix the issues in their squad.
While City may not wish to begin flexing their chequebook after a loss in a game that some consider a glorified friendly, their new boss did lay out his intentions after the final whistle. What City do next could have a huge say on this season's title race.
Speaking after the game, ex-Chelsea boss Maresca acknowledged they need to boost their spending, ahead of the window closing on September 1.
CARDIFF, WALES - AUGUST 16: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal lifts the FA Community Shield trophy with teammates after the 2026 FA Community Shield match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Principality Stadium on August 16, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Arsenal won the Community Shield after beating City 3-0(Image: Getty Images)
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"Any new signing, the sooner they arrive, the better because we are starting the Premier League in one week and if they start to work with us as soon as possible, it's better that they can also understand the way we want to play," said Maresca.
"We knew already before the game of the things that we need to do. It's not because we lost the game or even if we had won the game to think differently. We are quite clear in what we need to do and for sure we are going to do something before the window closes."
City have already signed Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson for a staggering £116million, while French winger Mathys Detourbet headed to Monaco on loan after his £21.5m arrival. They also appear to be planning for the future with the acquisitions of young stars Pierce Charles and Jeremy Monga, signing from Sheffield United and Leicester, respectively.
Meanwhile, Savinho, Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri look set to leave the Etihad this summer, paving the way for two or three high-profile arrivals. Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi is one player that City are in negotiations with.
The midfielder impressed at the World Cup for Morocco and could cost the Citizens around £100m. They've also been linked with swoops for Chelsea's World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez, Liverpool's Premier League-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and Portuguese forward, Pedro Neto, also of Chelsea.
Enzo Maresca wants to bolster his squad before the transfer window shuts
Enzo Maresca wants to bolster his squad before the transfer window shuts(Image: Sky Sports)
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Whether Arsenal have unleashed City in the market remains unclear. However, there's also the worrying omen about those who win the Community Shield and how well they ultimately fare in the following Premier League campaign.
You have to go back to 2018 for the last time the team that won the Community Shield also went on to win that season’s Premier League title. That year, City beat Chelsea in the Shield and subsequently won the title.
Arteta seems calm, however, unburdened that he could have spurred on Maresca and City's powerbrokers to break the bank once, or even twice more, in the next few weeks.
Speaking after the game, he said: “I am always extremely happy with the performance, the result and winning the first trophy. We talked about the desire that we have to start the season and show ourselves how much we want it.”