Arsenal powered to a 3-0 win against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, delivering a swaggering statement of intent ahead of their Premier League title defence.

Mikel Arteta’s side used the annual curtain raiser to the English top-flight season as an opportunity to prove their long-awaited title triumph has done nothing to sate their appetite for success.

The Gunners took just 24 seconds to show new City boss Enzo Maresca the standard required to keep up with the champions.

Riccardo Calafiori’s quick-fire opening goal was followed by a clinical Kai Havertz header before half-time.

Arsenal overwhelmed sloppy City with their trademark intensity and Martin Odegaard netted after the interval to cap a resounding victory.

READ ALSO: Ugandan Football Star David Owori Dies After Violent Ambush Near His Home

The glamour friendly at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium also allowed Arteta to parade Arsenal’s close-season recruits.

Bruno Guimaraes, signed from Newcastle for £75 million ($101 million), slotted into midfield with ease, while Christos Tzolis, lured from Club Brugge for £34 million, gave a lively display including two assists.

The north Londoners will start a campaign as champions for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

Already installed as favourites to win their first successive English titles since the 1930s, Arsenal look primed for a sustained spell as the Premier League’s preeminent force.

Their vibrant performance was the perfect warm-up before promoted Coventry visit the Emirates Stadium for the opening game of the Premier League season on August 21.

It was a dispiriting wake-up call for Maresca, who will have noted how much more dynamic and cohesive Arsenal looked compared to his spluttering team.

Pep Guardiola won 20 trophies in a glorious decade in Manchester, including the FA Cup and League Cup in his farewell season, but City haven’t won the title since 2024 and finished seven points behind Arsenal in second place last term.

Hand-picked to succeed Guardiola after quitting Chelsea in January following a turbulent reign lasting less than two seasons, Maresca now knows it will take a huge effort to close the gap on Arsenal, starting with City’s opener at home to Bournemouth on August 23.

Rampant Arsenal

Arteta believes his players are still “hungry” for trophies, with their painful Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in May providing motivation for this season.

The Gunners took less than a minute to underline Arteta’s point with a beautifully crafted opener.

Myles Lewis-Skelly featured in Arsenal’s midfield despite being linked to Chelsea and Manchester United and the teenager showed why he is in demand with a deft pass that split the City defence.

Calafiori surged onto Lewis-Skelly’s ball, evading City’s woeful marking to slot a composed finish past Gianluigi Donnarumma from 12 yards.

The left-back’s goal was the quickest in the Community Shield since 1968 and rampant Arsenal struck again in the 27th minute.

Martin Odegaard was gifted space to float a cross to the far post and Tzolis, left unmarked by Abdukodir Khusanov, headed it back into the six-yard box, where Havertz climbed above Ruben Dias to nod home.

In his first showpiece occasion for City after his £116 million move from Nottingham Forest, England midfielder Elliot Anderson struggled to exert any influence.

City talisman Erling Haaland was largely anonymous, wasting two good chances in the first half.

Arsenal captain Odegaard showed his Norway teammate how to do it three minutes after half-time.

Tzolis rolled a pass into Odegaard’s path and he slalomed through the City defence before leaving Donnarumma embarrassed with a clever dummy and close-range finish.

Only City, in 2019, have gone onto become Premier League champions among the previous 15 winners of the Community Shield.

On the evidence of their stroll in the Cardiff sunshine, Arsenal’s 18th Community Shield victory won’t be the last silverware lifted by Odegaard this season.

Courtesy – AFP

The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has publicly declared its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, breaking ranks with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) amid growing criticism of his leadership.

Mexico, one of the three co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, announced its position after CONCACAF called for a “comprehensive reckoning” of Infantino’s presidency following his controversial proposal to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.

SEE MORE: Fifa President, Gianni Infantino, Unopposed For Third Term

In a statement on Friday, the FMF expressed confidence in Infantino’s leadership, saying the FIFA president has continued to promote the development of football through stronger institutions.

“The FMF supports President Infantino’s leadership in continuing to promote the development of football through institutional strengthening,” the federation stated.

The Mexican federation also endorsed the position of South American football governing body CONMEBOL, insisting that any move to remove the FIFA president must be carried out through FIFA’s official electoral process involving all 211 member associations.

“The FMF will neither recognise nor approve any process convened outside of that institutional framework, and it joins the call made by President Infantino to collectively continue developing football for the benefit of the 211 member associations,” the statement added.

Mexico’s stance puts it at odds with CONCACAF, which criticised Infantino’s leadership style and described the abandoned investment proposal as evidence of poor governance.

According to CONCACAF, the proposal was “a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first,” adding that it reflected “a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour.”

While CONCACAF has voiced strong concerns, it stopped short of withdrawing confidence in Infantino. UEFA, however, has taken a tougher position, warning that European nations could still consider boycotting the 2026 FIFA World Cup unless assurances are given that similar investment proposals will not be revisited.

“Assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again,” UEFA said.

The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino, with the football associations of Wales, Albania and Croatia similarly distancing themselves from the FIFA president.

Despite the mounting criticism from Europe, Infantino continues to enjoy strong backing from other regions, including the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which recently reaffirmed its unanimous support for his leadership.

Uganda’s football community has been plunged into mourning following the tragic death of SC Villa captain and Uganda international David Owori, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a violent ambush near his home in Kampala.

Owori, 27, was reportedly attacked on Tuesday night in the Makindye area as he approached his residence. According to eyewitnesses, a group of suspected robbers assaulted him with paving stones, stole his belongings and fled the scene.

SEE MORE: U.S. Issues Highest-Level Travel Warning for Uganda Over Deadly Ebola Outbreak

The footballer was initially taken to a nearby medical centre before being transferred to a private hospital in Kampala, where he later died from his injuries.

Confirming the tragic development on Thursday, SC Villa described Owori’s death as a devastating loss to the club and the country’s football family.

“We have lost more than a player – we have lost a leader, brother and friend,” the club said in a statement.

SC Villa spokesperson Asan Kasingye said the player was attacked close to his home.

“The player was ambushed by thugs as he approached his home, leaving him with life-threatening injuries before he was rushed to the medical facility,” Kasingye said.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, with Kampala police spokesperson Rachael Kawala confirming that officers had processed the crime scene and were gathering evidence.

“The scene of the incident has been documented and processed to ensure that all relevant evidence is collected and preserved,” Kawala stated.

Popularly known by the nickname “Colgate,” Owori was one of Uganda’s most respected footballers. He captained SC Villa, one of the country’s most successful clubs, and also represented the Uganda national team, the Cranes.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) paid tribute to the late defender, describing him as a leader who inspired a generation of footballers.

“David was not just a footballer. He was both a leader and an inspiration to a generation,” FUFA said.

Owori returned to SC Villa in 2023 after a spell in Europe and played a crucial role in helping the club secure its 17th Uganda Premier League title in 2024, ending a 20-year wait for the championship.

His outstanding performances earned him a contract extension until 2027.

His death has sparked widespread outrage across Uganda, with supporters, teammates, football officials and political leaders demanding justice and calling for stronger action against violent crime in Kampala.