Odegaard's importance, Anderson and Foden struggle - how the players rated

Arsenal triumphed over Manchester City in the Community Shield match held at the Principality Stadium with a scoreline of 3-0. The Premier League champions took an early lead through Riccardo Calafiori in the 30th minute, followed by Kai Havertz adding a second goal with a close-range header. Arsenal's captain, Martin Odegaard, sealed the victory with a clever finish just three minutes after the break. This win marked Arsenal's first piece of silverware of the season.

Despite being strong favorites, the results showed that Manchester City's task in defending their title might be tougher than anticipated. The players were rated as follows:

- Ben White, a fit and experienced member of the Arsenal team, was rated 7.

- Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhaes also earned 7 each for their performance.

- Riccardo Calafiori, the Italy international who scored the opener, received an 8.

- Myles Lewis-Skelly, who played a key role in setting up Calafiori's goal, also received an 8.

- Bruno Guimaraes, a plug and play option for Arsenal, was rated 8.

- Martin Odegaard, Arsenal's captain, was rated a 9 for his impressive play and leadership.

- Noni Madueke, who showed bright moments and pace down the wing, was rated 6.

- Christos Tzolis, who made his first competitive appearance for Arsenal and recorded two assists, was rated 8.

- Kai Havertz, who provided Arsenal's focal point in attack, was rated 7.

- Declan Rice, who came on as a substitute after the World Cup, was rated 7.

- Bukayo Saka, who had a brief burst down the wing, was rated 6.

- Piero Hincapie, a reliable and aggressive defender, was rated 7.

- Viktor Gyokeres, who came on late when the game was already won, was rated 6.

- Martin Zubimendi, who replaced Lewis-Skelly in the squad, was rated 6.

- Eberechi Eze, who was brought on in the closing moments, was rated 6.