A rampant Arsenal blew away Manchester City to begin their 2026-27 season on a high as they won the curtain-raiser FA Community Shield on Sunday (August 16).

Arsenal’s dominance was evident as they won 3-0 at the Principality Stadium, a match which showed their brilliance ahead of the new season.

Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard secured the first silverware of the 2026-27 season for Mikel Arteta’s side and handed new City manager Enzo Maresca a difficult start to life after Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal vs Man City – As It Happened

The Premier League champions needed just 24 seconds to take the lead. Myles Lewis-Skelly produced a superb reverse pass that split the City defence, allowing Calafiori to race clear and coolly finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma. The early strike set the tone for a one-sided contest in which Arsenal looked sharper, more purposeful and better organised.

City enjoyed more possession but struggled to create clear chances. Phil Foden and Erling Haaland had efforts, yet David Raya was rarely seriously tested. Arsenal doubled their advantage in the 28th minute. Ødegaard delivered a curling cross toward the back post, where Christos Tzolis headed the ball back across goal. Havertz rose unchallenged to nod home from close range, exposing further defensive frailties in the City ranks.

Any hopes of a City recovery were extinguished three minutes into the second half. Tzolis was again involved, threading a precise pass into Ødegaard. The Arsenal captain showed excellent composure, wrong-footing Donnarumma with a clever feint before slotting the ball into the net for 3-0. It was a moment of pure quality that underlined Arsenal’s superiority.

Maresca introduced Jack Grealish, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush among others, but City remained blunt in attack. Arsenal controlled the remainder of the match with relative ease, making several substitutions including Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze. Late opportunities for Bukayo Saka and others went begging, yet the result was never in doubt.

The victory marked a statement start for Arsenal, who looked every bit the champions. For City, the heavy defeat highlighted the scale of the transition under Maresca following Guardiola’s departure. The Gunners have now won the Shield 18th time in their history, six times in the last 13 seasons.