Calafiori’s instant strike sparks Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City
Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 to win the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 16 August 2026, taking the lead after 24.5 seconds and adding two further goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard.
The match reopened the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium for the first time since 2006 because of The Weeknd’s gig at Wembley, and Calafiori’s early goal continued the celebratory atmosphere that followed Arsenal’s Premier League title parade across north London at the end of May. Enzo Maresca suffered a difficult first competitive game in charge of Manchester City as Mikel Arteta’s side lifted the trophy. Arteta had outlined his ambitions before the game: "We want to build on what we achieved and continue to have the ambition to win major trophies," Arteta said before the game. "That starts today."
Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after 24.5 seconds thanks to a brilliant pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly that set him through, and Havertz doubled Arsenal’s lead on 28 minutes with a goal created from a header following a Christos Tzolis flick. Ødegaard made it 3-0 three minutes into the second half, deceiving Gianluigi Donnarumma with a feint and then finishing to the goalkeeper’s right.
Manchester City showed little control in midfield in the absence of Rodri, and their new signing Elliot Anderson struggled on his competitive debut after his £116m move from Nottingham Forest. City had played only the first of their three pre-season matches this month in Hong Kong, while this was Arsenal’s sixth outing since the World Cup, a difference the report said was evident in the teams’ sharpness.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was singled out for errors: he was described as making a hash of his attempt to keep out Havertz’s header for the second goal and as being embarrassed for the third. Erling Haaland’s only real chance came towards the end of the first half when he sent a wayward shot wide of David Raya after the ball bobbled.
Bruno Guimarães was busy in his first competitive outing for Arsenal and Christos Tzolis was heavily involved on the left, the report saying he took part in almost all of Arsenal’s good work; it was Tzolis’s header from Ødegaard’s cross that allowed Havertz to double the lead. Arsenal remain in the market for a centre-back, the account added.
The victory was comprehensive: the match did not require the penalties that decided the previous three Community Shield finals, and Arsenal’s 3-0 scoreline was the biggest win in the competition since they beat City in 2014, when Arteta captained the side from midfield. Fans chanted, "Can we play you every week?"
Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence at home to Coventry in Friday’s curtain-raiser, while Manchester City will host Bournemouth next Sunday.