Arsenal Dominates Manchester City: Ødegaard Praises New Signings
Martin Ødegaard hailed the “natural” impact of Arsenal’s two big summer arrivals after the Premier League champions dismantled Manchester City to lift the Community Shield – and warned there is far more to come from Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal ripped into last season’s FA Cup winners in Cardiff, racing into a 3-0 lead inside 48 minutes and playing with the swagger of a team that believes it can dominate the new campaign.
Tzolis and Guimarães hit the ground running
Christos Tzolis, the £34m signing from Club Brugge, wasted no time in announcing himself. The winger teed up Kai Havertz for Arsenal’s second, then repeated the trick just after the interval, this time sliding in Ødegaard to make it 3-0 and effectively kill the contest.
On the other side of the pitch, Bruno Guimarães brought a different kind of authority. Making his first start since his £75m move from Newcastle, the Brazil midfielder patrolled the centre of the pitch with the assurance Arsenal have craved, before Declan Rice replaced him at half-time.
Ødegaard, who has faced Guimarães many times before, did not hide his admiration.
“Since the first day he came in, it has been such a natural thing,” the Norwegian said. “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 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.”
The combination of Guimarães’ control and Tzolis’ directness gave Arsenal a fresh edge against Enzo Maresca’s City, who were overrun for long spells and rarely looked like reeling the champions back in.
Ødegaard’s own reset
If the newcomers stole the headlines, Ødegaard’s own story runs just beneath the surface. Last season he started only 16 Premier League games, his campaign shredded by a series of injuries, and finished with a solitary league goal.
That has clearly been gnawing at him.
“Last season, to miss so many games because of injury was really frustrating,” he said. “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.”
A strong World Cup with Norway, who reached the quarter-finals in the summer, has sharpened his rhythm and confidence. In Cardiff, he looked like a player ready to transfer that international form back into club colours.
Champions hungry for more
The 3-0 win over City was more than a ceremonial curtain-raiser. For Ødegaard, it was a statement of intent from a side that does not plan to stop at last season’s title.
“We wanted to show our level,” he said of the victory. “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.”
That work starts immediately. Arsenal open their title defence away to promoted Coventry on Friday night, a fixture that suddenly carries extra intrigue after the champions dismantled City with such authority.
If this is what Arsenal look like with Guimarães settling in, Tzolis already delivering and Ødegaard playing with a point to prove, the question for the rest of the division is blunt: who is ready to keep up?
