Arsenal were ahead inside 23 seconds, doubled the lead on 23 minutes after some static City defending, and made it three just three minutes into the second half.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told TNT Sports the gulf between the sides was striking.
He felt Arsenal released the handbrake while Manchester City looked lifeless, saying Arsenal had made a clear statement of intent and that Arteta’s biggest issue is selection, whereas City have far more to fix.
Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist said City were given a bit of a lesson and, although it is early, the signs are worrying for them.
The underlying numbers highlighted Arsenal’s control: the Gunners produced 2.19 expected goals (xG) to City’s 0.77, and, notably for Arsenal, none of that xG came from set-pieces.
xG estimates how likely chances are to become goals using various factors, and Arsenal finished with nearly three times City’s total.
It was Arsenal’s biggest win to nil over Manchester City since August 2014 (also a 3-0 Community Shield success), and City’s heaviest defeat without scoring against an English side since a 4-0 loss to Tottenham in November 2024.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard told TNT Sports they played outstanding football, calling it a great performance and an excellent way to start the season.
He added that they showed their level, are ready and serious, and want to do it again.
While players and fans enjoyed celebrating a second trophy in four months, there remains the question of how much weight to give a display in a relatively minor competition.
Ten-time Community Shield winner Sir Alex Ferguson said in 2011 he always viewed the match as merely a stepping stone to the season ahead.
Since the Premier League began in 1992-93, only eight of the 34 Charity/Community Shield winners have gone on to win the league title.
The most recent were Manchester City in 2018-19; before that, it was Ferguson’s Manchester United in 2010-11.