Online Reporter
Yet if the champions keep playing like they did here at the Millennium Stadium, the club will not only defend their crown with ease but they will do it in style and will have to start getting some serious credit.
Riccardo Calafiori got Arsenal off to a stormer with a goal after 24 seconds, Kai Havertz headed the second and the match was over when Martin Odegaard scored a goal of pure beauty at the start of the second half.
While Arsenal were impressive, you have to take into account that City were abysmal in what was a worrying sign post-Pep Guardiola.
Enzo Maresca has a proper job on his hands. There’s no doubt about that.
With skipper Rodri absent and presumably Barcelona-bound, this was also a chilling indicator of how City could struggle with the loss of their midfield general along with their legendary boss.
Eliott Anderson was anonymous in midfield and for £116m, City will demand much more than this.
Phil Foden, who faces a key season at City, was poor before being put out of his misery on the hour and Erling Haaland was not any better.
While the Community Shield is a famously-bad indicator for what can unravel during a season, Arsenal will be looking at the positives and there were stacks of them.
Defending the title Premier League is even more difficult than winning it but Arteta;s team wil go into Friday’s opener at home to Coventry with a real swagger – Sun.
