Jurrien Timber impressed at Wembley. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Positive #2: Timber a quality acquisition
The more I watch Jurrien Timber, the more I sit back in my chair and exhale with comfort. What a player he is going to be for the club going forward.
Against a City side that can cut you to ribbons from anywhere on the pitch, Timber was defensively sound, and after he was subbed, Arsenal conceded down his flank. Coincidence?
His technical ability and willingness to attack, coupled with his sound defensive skills, make him almost the perfect player to have at Arteta’s disposal. There’s no such thing as perfect, but my word, Timber is off to a hot start as a Gunner.
Negative #2: Martinelli
For once, Gabriel Martinelli was off the boil. Against City, the Brazilian was unusually quiet and off the pace, which isn’t ideal.
Martinelli’s balls in the final third and his set-piece delivery weren’t at the level we have become accustomed to in what was a poor outing.
While he has enough credits in the bank, it wouldn’t want to linger much longer, and as he has already shown his abilities during the pre-season, perhaps we give him a mulligan for his performance.
Continued on the next slide…
#afc</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"https://t.co/jzbsyT83bC">pic.twitter.com/jzbsyT83bC
<p>— Adam Keys (@adamkeys_) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"https://twitter.com/adamkeys_/status/1688467268877864960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 7, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>Positive #1: Saliba’s duel with Haaland</h2>
<p>I am starting to run out of superlatives for the Frenchman. Remember when some were questioning Arteta’s decision to send him out on loan again? Yeah, me neither.</p>
<p>Saliba kept Erling Haaland in check, with his performance only solidifying the notion that had he been fully fit for the title run-in, things could have ended vastly differently.</p>
<p>It is hard to not get carried away as it is only pre-season, but mark it down 1-0 to Saliba until City and the Gunners meet again.</p>
<h2>Negative #1: The poor start</h2>
<p>Slow starts were a rarity last season for Arsenal, but against City, the first 30 mins pretty poor.</p>
<p>The Gunners barely had a touch of the football as City did as they pleased on the Wembley turf, and it would surely have made Arteta a little agitated at what he was witnessing.</p>
<p>Now, while Arsenal eventually found their groove, it will be the start of the game that Arteta will likely focus on ahead of future meetings.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Positive #2 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135707 size-full" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1864,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1581728432-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1864" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1581728432-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1581728432-768x559.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1581728432-1536x1118.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1581728432-2048x1491.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:2560px;">Jurrien Timber impressed at Wembley. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Positive #2: Timber a quality acquisition</h2>
<p>The more I watch Jurrien Timber, the more I sit back in my chair and exhale with comfort. What a player he is going to be for the club going forward.</p>
<p>Against a City side that can cut you to ribbons from anywhere on the pitch, Timber was defensively sound, and after he was subbed, Arsenal conceded down his flank. Coincidence?</p>
<p>His technical ability and willingness to attack, coupled with his sound defensive skills, make him almost the perfect player to have at Arteta’s disposal. There’s no such thing as perfect, but my word, Timber is off to a hot start as a Gunner.</p>
<h2>Negative #2: Martinelli</h2>
<p><a title="Arsenal 1-1 (4-1p) Man City: Player ratings from Community Shield victory" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/06/arsenal-1-1-man-city-player-ratings/" rel="">For once, Gabriel Martinelli was off the boil</a>. Against City, the Brazilian was unusually quiet and off the pace, which isn’t ideal.</p>
<p>Martinelli’s balls in the final third and his set-piece delivery weren’t at the level we have become accustomed to in what was a poor outing.</p>
<p>While he has enough credits in the bank, it wouldn’t want to linger much longer, and as he has already shown his abilities during the pre-season, perhaps we give him a mulligan for his performance.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Positive #3 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-135709 size-full" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1706,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1597195916-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1706" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1597195916-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1597195916-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1597195916-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1597195916-2048x1365.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:2560px;">Kai Havertz replaced Gabriel Jesus in the XI. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Positive #3: Havertz in the No. 9 role</h2>
<p>The German showed his new fans exactly what he can bring to the table. While showing flashes thus far during preseason, Havertz brought it all together against City.</p>
<p>Operating as a false nine, his physicality, ability to play with his back to goal, and hold-up play were first-class.</p>
<p>He provided the Gunners with a focal point at all times, and while he drifted out of the game in the second half, his efforts in the first showed <a title="Kai Havertz arrives at Arsenal with a big point to prove" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/07/3-positives-negatives-arsenal-community-shield-win/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/29/kai-havertz-arrives-arsenal-big-point-prove/" rel="">why Arteta signed him</a>.</p>
<h2>Negative #3: Bad omen for the title race?</h2>
<p>Arsenal’s victory over Pep Guardiola’s City, a side they’re yet to beat with Arteta at the helm, may prove psychologically significant if the Gunners once engage the Cityzens in the title race. However, recent Community Shield victors haven’t gone on to do too well in the Premier League season that follows.</p>
<p>Just one of the last 12 Shield winners have gone on to win the title (City in 2018/19) and the last two winners have gone on to finish eighth and fifth in the League.</p>
<p>However, Arteta’s Gunners are better than the Leicester and Liverpool outfits that struggled after their pre-season triumphs at Wembley and I’m sure absolutely nobody at the club is concerned with this potential bad omen.</p>
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<p>This wasn’t about winning a minor piece of silverware, but defeating a side they’d never beaten before – even if it was on penalties. Mentally, Sunday’s performance and result could prove significant for the upcoming campaign and beyond.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
