Arsenal, who went nine years without a trophy before winning the FA
Cup in May, collected their second piece of silverware in three months
when they crushed champions Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield
at Wembley on Sunday.
Arsenal thoroughly deserved their emphatic win in the traditional
curtain-raiser to the new English season with goals from Santi Cazorla
after 21 minutes, Aaron Ramsey after 42 and a stunning long-range third
from Olivier Giroud just past the hour.
City were without seven players who played in the World Cup while
Arsenal were missing their three German World Cup winners Mesut Ozil,
Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski.
But the Gunners, fielding three debutants including £35.0 million
striker Alexis Sanchez, were far sharper than City who look like they
have plenty of work to do before the start of the new Premier League
campaign next weekend.
Arsenal deservedly went ahead when a neat move on the edge of the box
involving Jack Wilshere ended with Cazorla shimmying to his left and
scoring with a low angled shot that eluded City debutant goalie Willy
Caballero.
Cazorla, who went 19 matches without a goal last season before scoring
Arsenal's first in their 3-2 FA Cup final win over Hull City, made it
two goals in two matches at Wembley with an unerring touch and he
combined well with Wilshere before going off in the second half.
Arsenal never loosened their grip and Yaya Sanogo, their 21-year-old
French striker who failed to score in 14 appearances last season, should
have made it 2-0 four minutes later but wasted an opportunity by
dragging his shot wide.
Arsenal always looking sharper and quicker than City's labouring
midfielders and added to their lead three minutes before halftime.
Sanogo held off City defender Dedryck Boyata before laying off for
Ramsey who controlled the ball with one touch and powered it into the
net for another Wembley goal after his winner in the Cup Final last
season.
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