Mikel Arteta has confirmed Arsenal's transfer priority remains defensive reinforcements after the Gunners delivered a dominant 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City in Cardiff. The win, which took less than 30 seconds to get going, served as a warning to their Premier League title rivals.
Arsenal's clinical start stuns City
Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring within the first 30 seconds, finishing a superb through ball from Myles Lewis-Skelly. Kai Havertz doubled the lead midway through the first half, heading in a cross from new signing Christos Tzolis. Captain Martin Odegaard sealed the emphatic win with a third goal, marking a nightmare start for Enzo Maresca in his first competitive game since replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The performance impressed Arteta, who praised his team's desire and reaction. "A really good performance," he said. "To show the desire we showed and the reaction I was really impressed. I told them I really enjoyed watching them play."
Defensive crisis forces transfer focus
Despite the convincing win, Arteta acknowledged the squad is stretched in defence. William Saliba is sidelined for an "extended period" after an injury sustained during France's World Cup campaign, while Jurrien Timber will also miss the start of the season. Asked if the focus is now on defensive reinforcements after the £75m deal for Bruno Guimaraes, Arteta said: "We know there are certain areas that through injuries we are weaker and we need to strengthen. We're trying to do that and we've been trying to do that for weeks. Only when the opportunity is right for the club will we do it."
Arsenal have shown interest in England international Ezri Konsa, but Aston Villa are holding out for a fee of £60m, while Arsenal have so far indicated they are willing to pay £45m. The Gunners also admire Konsa's England teammate Jarell Quansah, a former Liverpool player who featured at this summer's World Cup.
Timber and Saliba recovery updates
Arteta provided an update on the injured duo ahead of the match. "Jurrien is progressing really well," he said. "He is on the pitch, we are ramping up now with certain actions and especially the volume and the load. I think he is on a good trajectory, but there is still a few weeks to go. Wilo, as we all know, it's more a long-term injury."
On Saliba's recovery, Arteta added: "We have to wait and see [on the timeframe of their return]. He needs to start to train with the group in the next week or so hopefully, and then see how he progresses from there. It's been a long-term issue, and we want to make sure that every step that we take is the right one, he feels right to do that, because he's such an important player for us."
Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence with a home match against newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday night.
