Arsenal secured a psychological boost in their bid to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title by defeating Pep Guardiola’s team in a gripping Community Shield match, ultimately triumphing in a penalty shootout.
The match remained relatively uneventful for much of the 70 minutes of regulation play in this season’s curtain-raiser. A breakthrough seemed imminent when substitute Cole Palmer of Manchester City unleashed a stunning curled strike, seemingly sealing victory.
However, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard had other plans, equalizing in the 101st minute as his shot deflected into the back of the net. With the score level, the game was decided through a tense penalty shootout.
In the shootout, Kevin de Bruyne struck the crossbar, while Rodri saw his effort saved. Fabio Vieira capitalised on the opportunity, converting his penalty to secure the Community Shield silverware for Arsenal.
The victory serves as a boost for Arsenal, who led the Premier League standings for 248 days in the previous season but ultimately saw their title challenge slip away to City.
