Arsenal's New Signings Shine in Community Shield Victory

Martin Ødegaard hailed the instant impact of Arsenal’s new boys Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis after the Premier League champions dismantled Manchester City to lift the Community Shield – and warned that this side is built to chase far more than one trophy.

Arsenal tore into last season’s FA Cup winners in Cardiff, playing like a team that had never taken the summer off. They were 3-0 up inside 48 minutes, the scoreline reflecting the control, the aggression and the sharpness that City simply could not live with.

Tzolis, a £34m arrival from Club Brugge, looked as if he had been in Mikel Arteta’s system for years. The Greek winger first slipped in Kai Havertz for Arsenal’s second, then repeated the trick after the interval, laying on the pass for Ødegaard to sweep in the third just after half-time. Two assists, both decisive, both delivered with a calmness that belied the occasion.

Behind him, Guimarães set the tone. The £75m signing from Newcastle started for the first time in red and white and immediately imposed himself in midfield. He pressed, he bit into tackles, he recycled the ball with assurance. By the time Declan Rice replaced him at the break, Guimarães had already offered a clear answer to the question of how he would adapt.

“Since the first day he came in, it has been such a natural thing,” Ødegaard said of the Brazilian. “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 new signings stole the early headlines, Ødegaard’s own story runs just as deep. Last season, the captain started only 16 Premier League games, his campaign shredded by a series of injuries. He finished with a single league goal – a meagre return for a player of his influence.

The summer changed the mood. As Norway pushed through to the World Cup quarter-finals, Ødegaard rediscovered rhythm and confidence. That international form has clearly travelled back with him.

“Last season, to miss so many games because of injury was really frustrating,” the 27-year-old 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.”

Beating City in a showpiece is one thing. Turning that statement into a season-long standard is another. Arsenal’s first test comes quickly: a Friday night opener away to promoted Coventry, where the champions will be expected not just to win, but to set the tone.

Ødegaard is clear about what that should look like.

“We wanted to show our level,” he said of the victory over Enzo Maresca’s side. “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.”

The Community Shield, then, felt less like a curtain-raiser and more like a statement of intent: new signings bedded in, the captain scoring, the champions already hunting the next piece of silverware. Coventry will be first to find out how serious they are.