Arsenal's preparations for the 2014-15 season receive a massive boost as they beat defending Premier League champions Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield match. First-half goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey followed by a sensational striker from Olivier Giroud in the second half sealed a comfortable win for the North London club.
With the World Cup winning German trio of Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker unavailable for first team action, Arsenal still had enough depth to lineup a strong starting XI for the game. Manchester City on the other hand decided to start with goalkeeper Willy Caballero, Dedryck Boyata in the central defence and their new signing Fernando in the midfield.
Arsene Wenger’s side controlled the game right from the kick-off as they dominated the midfield battles throughout the 90 minutes. The game was a settled after 60 minutes after Giroud scored with a stunning strike from outside the box. The goal not only sealed another trophy for Arsenal but also allowed Wenger to introduce the likes of Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky and Joel Campbell in the last 25 minutes of the game.
GOALS
Arsenal 1 Manchester City 0 – Cazorla 21’
Arsenal 2 Manchester City 0 – Ramsey 42’
Arsenal 3 Manchester City 0 – Giroud 60’