It would be unwise to get too high or too low on either Arsenal or Manchester City off the back of the most semi-competitive game either will play between now and early June. The Community Shield is not much of an indicator of anything, hence why its winners have gone on to claim the Premier League title in just one of the last 15 years. On the evidence of this 3-0 win for Arsenal alone, you'd quite strongly fancy the champions to disprove the possibility of any hocus pocus that keeps those who claim England's first prize from earning its biggest.
For so many other reasons you would probably be vindicated next year. From the first whistle and the one mere seconds later that signified Riccardo Calafiori's opener would stand, Arsenal played in the fashion their supporters so desperately wanted to see, even as they ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title. This was an Arsenal that had got its swagger back, that played with a disdain for the opposition that can only be shown by those with a championship medal back home.
The route to the title had been one of emotional whiplash, in every "it's so over" there emerging a "we're so back" for the ages. Today was for cutting loose, the victorious supporters in Cardiff's Principality Stadium not so politely informing the smaller Manchester City contingent that they had seen the champions and should now consider getting home post haste. No one typified this newfound ease and grace quite like captain Martin Odegaard.
Even as he followed in the footsteps of Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira, the Norwegian had endured trying times, wracked by injuries, struggling for goals, his leadership oft questioned given he was not as blood and thunder as his predecessors. Then again, even at his best, Adams was never sitting down goalkeepers and rolling the ball past him like Odegaard did for Arsenal's third, a brilliantly constructed goal in which Christos Tzolis provided a composed assist. That would be the second for the Greece international, a breakout star of preseason who might not have the name recognition of Vinicius Junior but who seems to tick many boxes Arteta would have for a left winger.
Not only does he chase back the opposition to his own box, he looks like he can make contributions in the opposition area almost as regularly as he did at Club Brugge. His fellow new signing Bruno Guimaraes could barely have looked more at ease on the beach, dropping between the center backs and pinging the ball around. Myles Lewis-Skelly's excellent assist for Calafiori was a sign of a player not willing to easily give up the hard-earned starting spot he claimed last season.
With Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi on the bench, it'll take an almighty scrap just to get on the Arsenal team sheet (one that had no room for the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri). A performance of champions, certainly, but why wouldn't it be? If Arsenal can't loosen their self-imposed shackles in the Community Shield, when can they?
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