CARDIFF, Aug 16 : Arsenal beat Manchester Metropolis 3-0 within the Group Protect on Sunday, giving Mikel Arteta an early-season triumph whereas condemning new Metropolis boss Enzo Maresca to defeat in his first sport in cost within the conventional curtain-raiser to the marketing campaign.
With their fourth victory over Metropolis within the fixture, Arsenal maintained their 100 per cent win file over their opponents with an emphatic efficiency on the Principality Stadium the place Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard discovered the web.
“We confirmed our stage at the moment, we confirmed that we’re prepared,” Odegaard advised TNT Sports activities.
“I believe we confirmed that we’re critical, we need to do it once more. There’s extra trophies to go for and that is the intention.”
Having didn’t persuade in pre-season performances that raised a couple of eyebrows, Arsenal exploded into motion with devastating impact proper from kickoff, needing simply 23 seconds to silence any lingering doubts about their readiness.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was deployed in midfield and he threaded a wonderful go to arrange left again Calafiori, who calmly completed previous Gianluigi Donnarumma to provide Arsenal the proper begin towards the FA Cup champions.
The early strike – the primary objective scored within the opening minute of the fixture in 58 years – set the tone for a dominant show the place Arsenal appeared fitter, sharper, extra assured and stuffed with attacking verve.
Metropolis didn’t have a transparent alternative till the twentieth minute when Phil Foden curled a shot from vary however David Raya was as much as the duty, diving to his proper to disclaim the midfielder, whereas he additionally saved a shot later from Erling Haaland.
Arsenal doubled their lead when Odegaard floated in a cross to the far submit the place new signing Christos Tzolis headed the ball again throughout objective for Havertz to move dwelling, with Donnarumma by chance spilling the ball over the road.
Arsenal wanted simply three minutes after the restart to make it 3-0 with Tzolis grabbing his second help when he arrange Odegaard, whose delicate first contact took the ball previous Josko Gvardiol earlier than he beat a wrong-footed Donnarumma with ease.
Maresca’s aspect confirmed solely flashes of their attacking risk however Raya stood agency to protect a clear sheet whereas Haaland – final season’s Golden Boot winner with 27 objectives – was saved quiet and withdrawn earlier than the hour-mark.
Arsenal kick off the brand new Premier League marketing campaign on Friday towards Coventry Metropolis and Odegaard stated they had been going to play on the entrance foot to defend their crown.
“We’ll assault it. We need to do it once more. It was an unbelievable achievement and expertise for all of us,” he stated.
“If you get the style of how good it’s, you need to do it once more. And there is additionally a couple of different ones we need to take,” he added, referring to the Champions League title that slipped by way of their fingers within the ultimate towards Paris St Germain.
“At this membership, you need to win all of them. However in fact, that is an enormous one.”