Arsenal won their first trophy of the season, defeating Manchester City 4-1 on penalties to lift the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.
It could mean nothing, but it could also mean everything, as Arsenal began the season with a come-from-behind victory over Manchester City.
The Gunners gradually gained ground on Pep Guardiola’s team after they dominated play for the first 30 minutes.
With 15 minutes left, City took the lead thanks to a goal from Cole Palmer, who curled in a wonderful ball. However, as Mikel Arteta has repeatedly demonstrated, Arsenal never gave up, and a deflected Leandro Trossard goal tied the score.
Saliba is an excellent Defender
I believe that Arsenal would have won the league if Saliba had been healthy for the title run-up the previous season. Although there will be critics of that, I advise you to watch his masterclass against Erling Haaland.
Although it is preseason, it is much preferable to have a performance like this than for Haaland to run amok. The Frenchman was a monster in the middle of the defense.
Saliba, who is forming an outstanding combination with Gabriel, is gradually rising to the position of defensive captain, and keeping one of the world’s top scorers on the outside is a feather in his cap.
Although Arsenal will not receive any league points for his performance, Saliba will feel more confident when he next faces Haaland in the league.
Winning Mentality
So please be patient with me. It is preseason, after all, so whether a team wins or loses the Community Shield won’t really have an effect on the forthcoming Premier League season.
However, it might have provided Arsenal with something much more valuable than anything the team might have gained from the match.
Although the victory was satisfying in and of itself, it also served as a continuation of Arsenal’s strong preseason and proved that they could go head-to-head with what many consider to be the best team in the world.
Haverts New Role
Those who expected Kai Havertz to come in and out of the game against City were severely misled… and he might have a case for being the Gunners’ secret weapon when needed.
Havertz was outstanding as a false nine against City. His hold-up plays with his back to goal, as well as his pressuring, were first-rate, providing the Gunners with an outlet not seen since the days of Olivier Giroud.