08/16/26 11:04:00
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08/16 11:03 CDT Nightmarish start for Maresca as Arsenal beats Man City 3-0 in
Community Shield
Nightmarish start for Maresca as Arsenal beats Man City 3-0 in Community Shield
By STEVE DOUGLAS
AP Sports Writer
Enzo Maresca endured a nightmarish first competitive match in charge of
Manchester City as Arsenal scored inside 24 seconds before powering to a 3-0
victory in the Community Shield on Sunday.
English soccer's annual season curtain-raiser between the reigning Premier
League (Arsenal) and FA Cup (City) champions offered a chance for an early
assessment of the two teams most likely to challenge for the big trophies this
campaign.
While Arsenal delivered a statement performance --- not least by scoring after
23 seconds through Riccardo Calafiori --- at Cardiff's Principality Stadium,
there might be some early concerns for City and Maresca at the start of the
post-Pep Guardiola era.
Kai Havertz headed home the second goal in the 28th through the grasp of City
goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Martin Odegaard ran unchallenged into
City's area before sitting down Donnarumma with an outrageous dummy and
slotting a finish into an unguarded net in the 48th.
Playful chants of "You're getting sacked in the morning" came from Arsenal's
jubilant supporters toward Maresca for part of the game in which City rarely
threatened opposition goalkeeper David Raya, with Erling Haaland --- only just
back in training after the World Cup --- substituted in the 53rd minute.
It was the perfect preparation for Arsenal ahead of the beginning of its
Premier League title defense --- at home to Coventry on Friday. City launches
its league campaign two days later at home to Bournemouth and it remains to be
seen if Maresca reacts to this defeat by changing his team around.
Explosive start by Arsenal
Calafiori ran on to Myles Lewis-Skelly's threaded throughball to give Arsenal
an explosive start and score the first goal in the opening minute of the
Community Shield since 1968.
On that occasion, Bobby Owen netted for City against West Bromwich Albion.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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See AP's full soccer coverage here
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