Odegaard sends title warning after Community Shield statement
Arseblog News - the Arsenal news site · unknown author · 2026-08-16T16:36:11+00:00 · nguồn gốc
Martin Odegaard says Arsenal are determined to add to their trophy haul this season after brushing aside Manchester City 3-0 to lift the Community Shield in Cardiff.
Fresh from helping Norway reach the World Cup quarter-finals, the Arsenal captain turned in a man-of-the-match display, capping it with the Gunners’ third goal after Riccardo Calafiori and Kai Havertz had put the Premier League champions firmly in control before half-time.
Reflecting on an emphatic afternoon, Odegaard told TNT Sports: “It’s what we wanted. We wanted to start here with the first trophy and we did.
“Apart from the win as well, we played some brilliant football. So it was a great performance, a great way to start the season. And let’s continue like this.”
Asked whether Arsenal had laid down a marker ahead of the new campaign, the Norwegian left little doubt about the squad’s mindset.
“We showed our level today. I think we showed that we’re ready. We showed that we’re serious. We want to do it again. And there’s more trophies to go for. And that’s the aim.
“We’re going to attack it [the Premier League], we want to do it again. Yeah, for everyone to see our level. I think we showed today. I think we showed that we’re ready.
“We showed that we’re serious. We want to do it again. And there’s more trophies to go for. And that’s the aim.
“At this club, you want to win all of them. Of course, that [the Champions League] is a big one.
“We want to win everything. And that’s the mindset. Let’s look for Friday now and hopefully get a good start in the league.”
If Arsenal looked a little rusty in their previous four pre-season matches, forced to lean heavily on fringe and academy players, this was an impressive reminder of the level the team can reach when the cavalry returns.
Indeed, even without William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, both missing through injury, and with six substitutes coming on in the second half, the likes of Mikel Merino and Max Dowman didn’t make it onto the field. What’s more, with question marks over their future at the club, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri were left out of the squad altogether.
If Arsenal’s objective this summer was to raise the floor of the squad while adding genuine competition for places, the early signs are certainly encouraging. Bruno Guimaraes looked immediately at home in midfield and Christos Tzolis continued his bright start to life in north London.
Odegaard was full of praise for both new arrivals. On Guimaraes, he said: “He’s been unbelievable since the first moment he’s come in here and felt like such a natural part of the team. Although we had some big fights in the past, he’s been such a natural part of the team. And you see his quality on the pitch. He’s so good on the ball, but he’s also a fighter. He wins the ball. He was massive.
“Christos as well on the left. I think he had two assists today and a strong performance as well. So I think everyone was good today.”
While it’s dangerous to read too much into the Community Shield, a one-off clash that has often proves a poor predictor of what follows, Arsenal couldn’t have asked for a much more convincing statement.
Against one of their biggest rivals, they looked sharper, stronger and, perhaps most importantly, hungry to prove last season was only the beginning.