If Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield triumph is any indication of what the new Premier League season might bring, their rivals have every reason to be concerned. The champions produced a commanding display at the Principality Stadium, with Martin Ødegaard completing the scoring by calmly rounding Gianluigi Donnarumma and rolling the ball into an empty net.

By that point, the Arsenal supporters were enjoying themselves. “Can we play you every week?” they sang towards the Manchester City end as the celebrations gathered pace.

The occasion could never quite match the emotion of Arsenal’s title celebrations in north London back in May, when they finally ended a 22-year wait to become champions. Even so, there was considerable satisfaction in seeing City thoroughly outplayed after Arsenal had previously endured three consecutive second-place finishes.

Viktor Gyökeres had made Arsenal’s intentions clear before kick-off. Facing City, even in what was officially a friendly, was still something Arsenal wanted to win. Their attitude was evident from the first minute.

Calafiori Sets Arsenal on Their Way

The fixture also carried an interesting subplot. The first major match of the post-Pep Guardiola era brought together two coaches who once worked under him and are now attempting to establish their own identities at the top of English football.

On this evidence, Mikel Arteta has assembled a squad capable of defending its title. Arsenal looked considerably stronger than they did at the same stage last year, with the additions of Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis adding further depth to an already formidable group.

Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, could hardly have imagined a more difficult introduction to competitive football with City. His side were two goals behind before they had properly found their rhythm, and Arsenal effectively settled the contest within 48 minutes.

Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after a superb piece of work from Myles Lewis-Skelly. The young midfielder played the decisive pass less than a minute into the contest, immediately showcasing the qualities that made him so important during Arsenal’s title-winning run.

Lewis-Skelly had been moved into midfield late last season after Martín Zubimendi began to tire during the crucial stage of the campaign. His influence was significant in helping Arsenal finally finish the job in May, and his performance against City suggested that role could become even more important.

Lewis-Skelly Gives Arteta Another Selection Boost

Although Lewis-Skelly will not celebrate his 20th birthday until next month, he already possesses the physical presence to compete with much more experienced opponents. City’s £116m signing Elliot Anderson found that out firsthand, while Mateo Kovacic also struggled to impose himself.

The youngster’s future had been the subject of speculation during the week, with reports suggesting he had been offered to both Manchester United and Chelsea. After his display alongside the outstanding Guimarães, however, Arteta will surely have little interest in allowing him to leave during the final weeks of the transfer window.

Guimarães made an immediate impression of his own. A forceful challenge to win possession from Phil Foden was enough to endear the Brazilian midfielder to Arsenal supporters, who quickly responded with repeated chants of his name.

His quality was not limited to defensive work. A perfectly weighted cross-field pass released Noni Madueke, underlining the range of his distribution. City will probably have been relieved when the midfielder was withdrawn at the interval.

Havertz Adds to City’s Problems

Arsenal’s second goal arrived before the break and was another product of their fluid attacking play. Kai Havertz finished a move that also featured Ødegaard and Tzolis, leaving City struggling to contain their opponents.

The depth available to Arteta was highlighted again when Declan Rice entered the game for the second half. It served as another reminder that Arsenal can call upon significant quality even after making several changes.

Bukayo Saka’s early return following England’s World Cup campaign may raise questions about his workload over the longer term, but Arsenal were clearly determined to maintain their momentum.

Rice’s introduction also prompted the supporters to revive a song referencing his comments after Arsenal’s defeat at the Etihad Stadium in March. The message from the midfielder on that occasion had suggested the title race was not yet finished, and the fans were more than happy to remind City of it.

Ødegaard Looks Ready to Reignite Arsenal Attack

Perhaps equally encouraging for Arsenal was the performance of their captain.

Ødegaard endured a difficult previous campaign because of injuries, limiting his influence at a time when Arsenal needed their attacking leader most. Against City, however, the Norwegian looked much closer to his best.

After an impressive World Cup with Norway, he repeatedly found dangerous positions and helped orchestrate several of Arsenal’s strongest attacking sequences. His performance was capped by the third goal, with Ødegaard showing composure to finish the move and complete a memorable afternoon for the champions.

The reaction from Arsenal’s travelling support was predictably jubilant. Chants aimed at Maresca suggesting he could be dismissed the following morning added to the sense that City had suffered a particularly painful defeat.

City Still Have Midfield Questions to Solve

For Manchester City, the defeat exposed an area that may require immediate attention.

Rodri is expected to leave for Barcelona, meaning City will need another central midfielder to complement Anderson. Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille could offer youthful energy, but if City are serious about challenging Arsenal for the title, greater experience may be needed in the middle of the pitch.

Enzo Fernández of Chelsea could represent one possible solution.

There was a period last autumn when Maresca’s former club appeared to have the best chance of pushing Arsenal. His relationship with the Chelsea hierarchy eventually deteriorated, bringing his time there to an early conclusion.

His next challenge is different. Maresca has inherited a City squad that spent years operating under Guardiola’s methods and philosophy. Changing that culture will not happen overnight.

Arteta, however, has backed his new rival to succeed. Earlier in the week, the Arsenal manager highlighted Maresca’s personality, character and knowledge as qualities that could help him make an impact at City.

For Arteta himself, the challenge now extends beyond another title. He has the opportunity to build a legacy that could eventually be measured against the extraordinary standards established by Guardiola.

If that is the ambition, then Arsenal could hardly have chosen a more convincing way to begin.