Post-Guardiola City Humbled By Arsenal

Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City

Covfeed looks at how the starting XIs performed in the Community Shield as Pep Guardiola’s two former deputies went head to head.

Gigi Donnarumma failed to command his penalty area as City collapsed!

‍Arsenal

David Raya
Good save from a low Semenyo drive on the 81st minute kept Arsenal comfortably ahead, but Arsenal’s no. 1 was comfortable all match. Regulation and simple saves were few and far between for the increasingly long-haired Spaniard.

Ben White
Excellent opening 35minutes for the right-back. Slick, confident and incisive with simple balls down the line and creative first-time flicks inside. Volleyed pass on 40mins to Madueke was a highlight. Too good to be back-up this season, but that may be his fate with Jurien Timber not far from fitness.

Cristhian Mosquera
Still only 22 years old, but the Spaniard is an excellent deputy to William Saliba. Proactive and intelligent defending from the first minute. Nothing more was needed. Only briefly troubled by City when Doku was given space to run, but Gabriel got back to cover.

Gabriel
Does Gabriel over-celebrate winning tackles he really should win? Yes. This happened with a sliding smash on Doku after 27 mins. But he needed something to keep him excited. The Brazilian rarely had no reason to even consider Erling Haaland in this match as he stayed tight to the Norse (football) god who threatened nothing.

Riccardo Calafiori
Committed to a high starting point, which caused such problems for City’s defence. The Italian made excellent runs to the corner and deep into the box. Rarely needed to combat the ball to Semenyo because Khusanov didn’t get it… or play it. Disappointing dive on 41mins. Massive goal threat across the first half when he could have had three!

Myles Lewis-Skelly
Quietly efficient. Every inch the midfield parnter of the excellent Bruno Guimaraes as he closed space, hurried opponents and progressed the ball. Leaves Wales with credit in the bank as the Bruno/MLS pivot offers something different for The Gunners

Bruno Guimaraes
Moved the ball quickly with one touch, and occasional one-twos. Consistently received the ball from the toes of his centre-backs and created faster transitions for Arsenal. His energy was infectious and City could not deal with it as the Brazilian repeatedly won the ball and carved City open in the first 45.

Noni Madueke
Still taking one too many touches in the attacking third, but should confidence to run around O’Reilly and Gvardiol as they worked out where they should be. His unpredictab retention stats will be interesting as he received a lot of early ball.

Martin Odegaard
Looking much more like the player Arsenal fans fell in love with after signing from Real Madrid in 2021. Dovetailed brilliantly with Bruno G in the first half, picking up balls deep and running along the backline before releasing passes forward. Some good forays in the attacking third, with pace and purpose.

Christos Tzolis
Great burst of pace before half time which set-up a chance for Madueke that should have been buried. Add to that two assists and an excellent understanding of where to be (and not be) to create opportunity and space for Calafiori and Arsenal might just have a left-sided forward superior to Martinelli and Trossard.

Kai Havertz
The German leads the line better than most in Premier League football. Busy, mobile and generally smart. Showed flashes of the highest quality as he span into space and fed those who ran off him. Arsenal’s No. 9 (wearing the 29) for this season.

Manchester City

Gigi Donnarumma
So good at so much, but too often lets in a ‘surprise’ (and soft) goal. The second was a shocker. A low point for the City stopper who didn’t stop anything of note in this match.

Abdukodir Khusanov
Clearly one of the best trainers at the club as he keeps getting picked. But he did create for his winger, was left as the cover man at corners and generally took up positions that didn’t impact Arsenal’s attacking threat. Hugely improved from his opening season, but is he aggressive or proactive enough to be a positive for City?

Ruben Dias
Lack of reaction from players in front created huge problems for goal one and in the build-up to Odegaard’s strike. The Portugese was left torn between picking up one of three runners, and he did nothing. Chaos around him which he needs to manage, as captain.

Josko Gvardiol
The Croatian was the third of too many ‘big CBs’ when another energetic midfielder was needed. Started central and moved left, but his positioning handed momentum to Arsenal runners.

Nico O’Reilly
Played as an advanced full-back who tucked inside Doku. It didn’t work. O’Reilly took up good positions in the first 30, but then got lost in the game as Arsenal played around him, and his team-mates. Subbed early in H2.

Mateo Kovacic
Good first 10 minutes, following the early goal. But was too often left as one against two or three runners where his judgement let him down. A victim of a positional set-up that didn’t account for opponents running off the ball!

Eliott Anderson
Took up advanced position (mirroring O’Reilly) in the opening minutes, spending most of the first 10 in the attacking half. A couple of early shouts from Anderson to Kovacic - asking if support was needed (it was) - were essential as he slotted back into the midfield as a mobile and more central 8. Too much space around Kova (to the side of and behind Foden) and in front of the CBs.

Phil Foden – dropped into the 8 to claim the ball. Generally recevied little compared with Kova. A huge problem for the former City star who again faded from prominence quickly.

Antoine Semenyo - played a slightly ‘tucked’ position as he tried to find sp[ace between LB, CB and MLS. Pushed wider (matching Doku on the left) as service dried up, but recevied little ball. An uneventful match for the Ghanaian.

Jeremy Doku – hugged the touchline. Two moments of threat in H1 as he ran at White and Mosquera. But the 24 y/o was generally left with little space to exploit before being swapped for Grealish. Who had even less impact.

Erling Haaland
Three touches for Haaland in the opening 30 minutes - all of which were with the Norwegian’s back to goal. First good chance for Haaland came as the clock ticked into the 40th minute! Low shot easily saved by Raya, which could have been struck better. Subbed on 55 with a change of style. Concerning.