Arsenal vs. Manchester City 2026 FA Community Shield Live Updates, Scores and Highlights

Right on the forehead

Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard saw Arsenal cruise beyond a poor Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, easing to a 3-0 win in Enzo Maresca's first competitive game as City boss since Pep Guardiola's departure.

Arsenal blew the cobwebs away instantly, taking just 23 seconds to impact the scoresheet after Myles Lewis-Skelly's incisive pass gave Calafiori little chance to miss.

Christos Tzolis shone on his competitive debut for the Gunners, grabbing two assists in a performance where he didn't need too much of the ball to make a difference. His first assist set up Havertz, whose simple header bounced off Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the net to double the lead.

Tzolis then notched his second assist right after halftime, even if it was propped up by Odegaard brilliantly nicking the ball away from Josko Gvardiol and feinting to sit Donnarumma down before passing into the empty net.

The game settled into a pedestrian pace from that moment, with both teams making substitutions in order to build up fitness ahead of next week's return of the Premier League, including a quiet Erling Haaland coming off for Omar Marmoush.

Bukayo Saka missed a decent chance with 10 minutes to go, before David Raya got a strong hand to a powerful drive from Antoine Semenyo. 

Arsenal rarely looked like conceding, a feature of last season, and can now enter the new campaign in the knowledge they are justified favourites to retain their crown.

Sick Ødegaard feint has Gunners 3-0 up

Well, what a nightmare start for new Man City boss Enzo Maresca!

It took Arsenal just 23 seconds to break through a Citizens rearguard that looked all over the place in the opening 45 minutes.

Riccardo Calafiori coolly slotted beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma after a brilliant Myles Lewis-Skelly pass for 1-0; the latter providing a timely reminder of his quality after a week of rumours that he will leave the club.

Man City's lack of intensity showed itself again just before the 30-minute mark. Martin Odegaard was given far too much time to cross into Christos Tzolis, who headed to Kai Havertz in the centre of the box. The German connected enough to force Donnarumma into fumbling the ball over the line for 2-0.

Maresca's men created two great chances to cut the deficit just before the break. Erling Haaland's shot was saved by David Raya, with Ben White then brilliantly putting his body on the line to stop a certain Jeremy Doku goal, making it a difficult halftime team talk for Pep Guardiola's replacement.

Arsenal's new signing Tzolis with the assist vs. Man City

Maresca's Man City opened up way too easy for Calafiori's opener

Haaland starts in Community Shield

Saka and Rice on bench

How it looks ahead of season

It may we be...