Arsenal kept their cool on penalties to end a run of eight straight defeats against Man City and win the Community Shield at Wembley.
With new rules in full effect, referees didn’t hesitate to implement against Arsenal and Man City match. For those that weren’t paying attention, the first half of this game told them all they needed to know.
Officials’ new bugbears include kicking the ball away and imaginary card waving. Thomas Partey and Alvarez were both booked in the first half for kicking the ball away after a free-kick was awarded. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s animated nature saw him fall foul of the rules, too.
The Arsenal boss was shown a yellow card by Stuart Attwell after charging towards the fourth official to wave a card after Rodri fouled Havertz in the middle of the pitch.
They’re unlikely to prove popular, but the clampdown on certain behaviours is here to stay for the 2023/24 season.
When Arsenal paid Chelsea £65million for Havertz, it was a major show of faith in a player who has at times struggled for consistency. Nobody was doubting Havertz’s talent and potential, but many were doubting his ability in front of goal.
The German only scored 32 goals in 139 appearances for Chelsea and was often guilty of missing big chances. It’s early days at Arsenal, yet his lack of cutting edge, playing as a No9 in Gabriel Jesus’ absence, was evident in the first half against Man City.
He did well to spin on Ben White’s cut-back, only to see his central shot saved by Ortega. Later in the half he had another great chance from a similar Saka cut-back, only to scuff his effort at the near post, where City’s second-choice goalkeeper kept him out again.
Mateo Kovacic’s £25m move from Chelsea to Manchester City always looked like an astute piece of business. The Croatian midfielder just had the feeling of a Pep Guardiola player – and this game confirmed that he is a good fit for his new side.
Kovacic is a very different player to Ilkay Gundogan. But his passing ability and bustling runs from deep look at home alongside Rodri in midfield.
Arsenal fielded new signings Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Havertz and, while they all slotted into Arteta’s system, none shone as brightly as Kovacic on the other side.
Timber played at left-back, ahead of specialist Kieran Tierney, while Rice played alongside Thomas Partey in midfield. The former West Ham man got forward well to support attacks, but couldn’t make an impact before being withdrawn in the 81st minute.
The Community Shield can often feel lethargic, with players still trying to get up to full speed following pre-season trips to the other side of the world. But Martin Odegaard certainly looked sharp and up to speed at Wembley.
The Norwegian drew gasps from the Arsenal fans with a few moments of magic. First he produced a beautiful touch to bring the ball out of the sky. He followed it with a dazzling piece of skill which left Alvarez on the floor.
He didn’t slow down after the break, either, skinning Kovacic with a subtle body swerve following a pass down the line from the right-back position. Odegaard reminded us how nice it is to have football back.
The gap between the two sides did not look gigantic for the vast majority of this match – and it wasn’t in the end.
Manchester City appeared to be on course for a ninth successive win over Arsenal in all competitions. Arteta’s side had not beaten Guardiola’s since a 2-0 win in the FA Cup semi-finals in July 2020.
This was a good omen for the upcoming season.