Martin Odegaard warned Arsenal’s rivals that the Premier League champions want to “win everything” after starting their season by sweeping aside Manchester City in the Community Shield.
Arsenal captain Odegaard delivered a man of the match performance capped by the final goal in his team’s dominant 3-0 victory in Cardiff on Sunday.
Riccardo Calafiori netted Arsenal’s opener after just 24 seconds and Kai Havertz was also on the scoresheet before half-time in the annual curtain raiser to the English top-flight season.
Just three months ago, Odegaard lifted Arsenal’s first Premier League crown since 2004 after they finished seven points ahead of second-placed City.
The Norway midfielder believes the dynamic display against City, now managed by Enzo Maresca instead of Pep Guardiola, showed the north Londoners have not lost their hunger for silverware.
“We played some brilliant football. Great performance and a great way to start the season,” Maresca said.
“We showed our level today. We’re showed we’re ready. We’re serious and we want to do it again. We want to attack it. We want to do it again.
“When you get a taste of how nice it is you want to do it again. We want to win everything.”
Installed as the bookmakers’ favourites for a second successive title, Arsenal begin their Premier League charge at home to promoted Coventry on August 21.
‘Things to work on’
City open their bid for a first title since 2024 with a visit from Bournemouth on August 24 and Maresca admitted they have a lot to improve before then.
“We have many things to work on. The season’s just started so there are many things we need to do better,” he said.
“The goal we conceded after 24 seconds unfortunately affected the game. Disappointed with that because in this kind of game the level is so similar that when you concede a goal, it then becomes difficult.”
Maresca endured the joint-heaviest defeat by a City manager in their first game in charge, tying a 4-1 loss for Harry Newbould’s side against Arsenal in 1906.
It was also Maresca’s joint-worst loss as a manager in England after a 3-0 defeat against Brighton during his time with Chelsea in 2025.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, City have only won two of their nine matches against Arsenal, showing the widening gap between them that Maresca must find a way to close.
“After the goal, the reaction was quite good. We had three or four chances to score and draw the game. Unfortunately we conceded the second one and it became more complicated,” he said.
“From next Sunday we start the Premier League and the focus has to be about that.”
Source: Khaleej Times