Enzo Maresca experienced a real nightmare in his first official match in charge of Manchester City, after Arsenal opened the scoring just 24 seconds into the game and went on to a crushing 3-0 victory in the Community Shield played this Sunday.
The traditional match that kicks off the English soccer season pitted the reigning Premier League champion, Arsenal, against the FA Cup winner, Manchester City. The match, held at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, offered an early assessment of the two teams poised to contend for the season’s top titles.
While the London side sent a clear message of dominance on the field, concerns quickly arose for City as they began their post-Pep Guardiola era. Riccardo Calafiori got off to a blistering start, scoring in the first minute of play after capitalizing on a precise through ball from Myles Lewis-Skelly. This goal became the fastest in the tournament since 1968.
Arsenal’s dominance continued, and in the 28th minute, Kai Havertz extended the lead with a header that slipped through goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s hands. The rout was sealed just four minutes later, in the 48th minute, when captain Martin Odegaard entered the box unmarked, left Donnarumma in the dust with a spectacular feint, and calmly finished into the empty net.
Arsenal’s superiority was so evident that the euphoric Arsenal fans directed mocking chants at Maresca, warning him of an imminent dismissal. In contrast, City rarely managed to trouble the opposing goalkeeper, David Raya. The Manchester team’s offensive ineffectiveness was reflected in Erling Haaland’s performance; the forward, who had just returned to training after the World Cup, was substituted in the 53rd minute after touching the ball only seven times.
After the match, Maresca acknowledged the impact of the first goal. “The goal we conceded 30 seconds in affected the game. It’s a painful loss, but it’s just the beginning,” the coach said. For his part, City’s newly appointed captain, Rúben Dias, called for patience amid the coaching change, noting that it’s part of any transition for things not to be perfect at first and that there will be many challenges along the way.
On the winning side, there was nothing but optimism ahead of the start of their Premier League title defense, which kicks off this Friday at home against Coventry. “I think today we showed our level—that we’re ready. We mean business, and we want to do it again,” Odegaard said.
The match was also marked by changes to Manchester City’s roster. The team was without midfielder Rodri, who is recovering from minor back surgery amid strong rumors of a possible transfer to Barcelona. His absence left a huge void that Elliot Anderson, the team’s recent $155 million signing, attempted to fill. Also notable was the return of Jack Grealish, who came on in the second half to play his first minutes for the club in over a year, following his loan spell at Everton.
With this result, Arsenal matched its largest margin of victory in a season opener since 2014—a year in which, interestingly, they also defeated Manchester City 3-0.
