Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City in Community Shield – player ratings as Calafiori, Havertz and Odegaard shine

Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium on 16 August 2026, with Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard on the scoresheet. The Premier League champions dominated Enzo Maresca's side and lifted the first piece of silverware of the season.

Calafiori opened the scoring inside 30 seconds, his first goal for Arsenal since finding the target against Manchester United on 17 August 2025, and Havertz added a second with a close-range header; Odegaard completed the win with a clever finish three minutes after the interval. BBC Sport provided individual ratings for both teams, highlighting Arsenal's control and several City players who struggled. Christos Tzolis recorded two assists on his first competitive appearance for Arsenal, a feat the report notes was last achieved by Willian on his debut in September 2020.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was rated 7 for a “good save from Phil Foden and an excellent take from a corner in the first half” and for a memorable pass to Christos Tzolis that sparked a counter-attack. Ben White earned a 7 after an experienced display that included a massive block to deny Jeremy Doku, while Cristhian Mosquera was also rated 7 following a composed performance and a recovery run under pressure from Erling Haaland. Gabriel Magalhaes received an 8 for a big block against Doku and for keeping Haaland "extremely quiet."

Riccardo Calafiori was given an 8 for scoring the opener and for his roaming attacking influence, described as making him unpredictable and potentially set for a huge season. Myles Lewis-Skelly, also rated 8, continued his strong pre-season form and slid Calafiori through for the goal; Bruno Guimaraes was rated 7 and described as a plug-and-play option, though he was taken off at half-time. Captain Martin Odegaard earned a 9, with the report stating he is back to full fitness, played more forward passes than last season, produced the curling ball that led to the second goal and scored Arsenal's third with a clever finish.

In attack, Noni Madueke was rated 6 for occasional bright moments and pace down the wing while Christos Tzolis received an 8 for two assists on his debut. Kai Havertz scored Arsenal's second and was given a 7 for leading the line, and Declan Rice, who came on at half-time, was rated 7 for looking comfortable in his first minutes since returning from the World Cup with England. Substitutes included Bukayo Saka (on 60) 6, Piero Hincapie (on 60) 7, Viktor Gyokeres (on 75) 6, Martin Zubimendi (on 75) 6, and Eberechi Eze (on 84) 6; unused Arsenal subs listed were Kepa, Dowman and Merino.

For Manchester City, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was rated 5 after conceding three and appearing uncomfortable on the ball. Abdukodir Khusanov received a 6 despite two Arsenal goals being created down his side, Ruben Dias was rated 6 after being troubled in the air by Havertz, and Josko Gvardiol was given a 6 for drifting into midfield but being part of an unsettled back four. Nico O'Reilly was taken off after 54 minutes for Marc Guehi and was rated 6; Mateo Kovacic, named alongside Elliot Anderson, was rated 6 and described as overrun by Arsenal's midfield trio.

Elliot Anderson was rated 5 for a poor day in the middle of the park and was substituted after 60 minutes; Phil Foden was also rated 5 and was taken off in the second half after struggling to influence the game. Jeremy Doku was given a 5 and was replaced at half-time, while Erling Haaland lasted until the 53rd minute with a rating of 5 after registering one shot on target. City substitutes included Jack Grealish (on 46) 6, Marc Guehi (on 53) 6, Omar Marmoush (on 53) 6, Rayan Cherki (on 60) 6, Rico Lewis (on 60) 5 and Nico Gonzalez (on 79) 5; unused City subs listed were Rulli, Ait-Nouri and Reis.

Arsenal's 3-0 victory in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium gave the club the first piece of silverware of the season.