Arsenal's New Signings Shine in Community Shield Victory
Martin Ødegaard hailed the “natural” impact of new arrivals Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis after Arsenal ripped through Manchester City to lift the Community Shield – and insisted this team is built to chase down more than just a title defence.
Arsenal tore into last season’s FA Cup winners in Cardiff, three goals to the good inside 48 minutes and playing like a side already deep into their stride. By the time City could catch their breath, Mikel Arteta’s champions had sent a sharp message about the season to come.
Tzolis, a £34m summer signing from Club Brugge, wasted no time in announcing himself. The Greek winger drove at City, stretched their back line, and produced two moments of real incision. First, he slipped in Kai Havertz for Arsenal’s second, then early in the second half he picked out Ødegaard, who swept in the third to cap a ruthless passage of play.
On the other side of Arsenal’s midfield, Guimarães brought a different kind of authority. Making his first start since a £75m move from Newcastle, the Brazil international patrolled the centre of the pitch, snapping into duels and dictating tempo before making way for Declan Rice at half-time.
For Ødegaard, it already feels like Guimarães has been at the club for years.
“Since the first day he came in, it has been such a natural thing,” the Norwegian said. “Although we had some big fights with him in the past, he has just come into the team as a real natural part of the team. And you can see his quality. He can win the ball, he’s a fighter, but he also has so much quality on the ball. He has that … he is so calm on the ball. He always takes the right amount of time and he finds the pass. It’s brilliant. Christos, as well, it is good to have new players perform like that already.”
If the newcomers stole the spotlight on the day, Ødegaard’s own story hangs over Arsenal’s season. Last year, injuries restricted him to just 16 Premier League starts and a single league goal. For a player of his influence, it bit hard.
“Last season, to miss so many games because of injury was really frustrating,” he admitted. “What I have just worked on is to use that as motivation for this year and to become stronger. And to use all of those experiences in a positive way. Obviously, I want to help the team score more goals, get more assists, and all that. It was a good way to start the season.”
His summer with Norway helped reset the rhythm. A strong World Cup run to the quarter-finals sharpened his touch and his confidence. The finish against City – timing his run, finding space, and guiding Tzolis’s pass home – looked like the work of a player intent on reclaiming his place at the centre of Arsenal’s attacking heartbeat.
Now comes the real business.
Arsenal open their title defence on Friday night against promoted Coventry, a fixture that suddenly carries a different weight after the manner of the win over Enzo Maresca’s City. The champions know the rest of the league will be watching to see if that Community Shield performance was a statement or just a summer flourish.
“We wanted to show our level,” Ødegaard said of the victory. “Of course, last year we won the league. But this year we want more. There is a lot more to play for. We want to do it again in the league and then there are the other trophies. There is a lot to work for and still a lot of room for improvement.”
New signings settling instantly, the captain talking about “more”, and a title defence starting under the lights – Arsenal have made their intentions clear. The question now is not whether they are ready to compete, but how far this group can push the ceiling.
