Wembley had a concert booked, so the Community Shield went to the Principality Stadium, the first time Cardiff has hosted it since 2022. Fifty-eight thousand people, a roof, and a Manchester City side who had beaten us at Wembley in March.
Twenty-Three Seconds
Riccardo Calafiori scored after twenty-three seconds, past Gianluigi Donnarumma, before most of the ground had worked out where they were sitting. Three goals in 45 appearances since he arrived from Bologna, and he opens the season with one of them.
Kai Havertz made it two before the half hour, and three minutes into the second half Martin Ødegaard made it three. City never got into it.
What It Means, Carefully
A Shield in August is not a season. It is also the same scoreline, against the same opponent, that we could not manage in the League Cup final five months ago, and the players clearly had that somewhere in mind.
"I'm obviously extremely happy with the performance, the result and winning the first trophy. The way the team tracks back is just unbelievable, especially when fitness-wise you are not there, so you have to get there in a different way. When you put your soul and your heart into a reaction, that's what happens."
Man of the Match: Riccardo Calafiori 🇮🇹
Twenty-three seconds. The rest of the afternoon was comfortable because of it.