Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City in FA Community Shield final in Cardiff

Arsenal defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the FA Community Shield final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday, August 16, securing the traditional English curtain-opener.

The Gunners struck inside the opening minute when Riccardo Calafiori finished from a Myles Lewis-Skelly pass, Kai Havertz doubled the lead in the 28th minute, and Martin Odegaard sealed the win in the 48th minute after a Christos Tzolis assist.

Calafiori found the back of the net inside 25 seconds, marking the fastest recorded goal in Community Shield history, with Lewis-Skelly’s through ball catching both Abduokodir Khusanov and Gianluigi Donnarumma by surprise.

Kai Havertz’s second-minute contribution came after Martin Odegaard played a ball that Christos Tzolis headed back centrally; Havertz then nodded the chance in from close range in the 28th minute, with Havertz’s header described in the report as "fairly central, but somehow crept under Donnarumma’s elbow before hitting his body and crossing the line."

Christos Tzolis created Arsenal’s third goal early in the second half, providing the assist for Martin Odegaard’s 48th-minute finish; the 24-year-old left winger set up two goals in the match and, according to the report, "silenced all critics with his performance today, setting up two goals."

Myles Lewis-Skelly’s contribution drew attention beyond the assist; the youngster has "been strongly linked with an exit from the Emirates Stadium, with Manchester United a possible destination," and the report added that "if tonight’s performance is any indication of things to come, Mikel Arteta would want to hold on to his midfield prodigy."

Phil Foden, who started for Manchester City, was described as having been "completely anonymous in the opening stages of the game, having fewer than a dozen touches in the opening 15 minutes," and he received the first booking after pulling down Christos Tzolis; the report also suggested, "It would be very surprising if Rayan Cherki does not replace him in the league opener."

The match report placed responsibility for City’s goals partly on Gianluigi Donnarumma, saying he was "partly at fault for the opening goal" after an early dash and that the second goal was "an atrocious piece of goalkeeping," with the goalkeeper also accused of diving "way too quickly for Arsenal’s third goal." With James Trafford having left for Leeds United permanently, the report observed that Enzo Maresca is "stuck with Donnarumma, for better or for worse."

The article noted tactical and selection observations: Arteta’s side kept a clean sheet after failing to do so in their last six games and ended his two-match losing streak against the Cityzens, while City’s new coach Enzo Maresca endured a difficult competitive debut, with the report stating his "competitive debut for City could not have gone worse" and that Arteta’s attackers repeatedly "cut through their defensive lines."

Arsenal’s 3-0 victory secured the FA Community Shield 2026 title at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with goals from Riccardo Calafiori (inside 25 seconds), Kai Havertz (28th minute) and Martin Odegaard (48th minute), and the game served as Enzo Maresca’s competitive debut in charge of Manchester City according to the report.