ØDEGAARD PRAISES GUIMARÃES AND TZOLIS AFTER ARSENAL BEATS CITY

Martin Ødegaard has praised new signings Bruno Guimarães and Christos Tzolis following Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday in Cardiff. Tzolis, who joined from Club Brugge for £34m, provided two assists in the match, setting up Kai Havertz for the second goal and Ødegaard for the third after half-time. Guimarães, signed from Newcastle for £75m, started the match before being replaced at the interval by Declan Rice. Ødegaard said the Brazilian midfielder has integrated seamlessly into the squad and demonstrated both physical presence and technical quality.

Ødegaard scored in the match, his first goal since December. The Arsenal captain said Guimarães has brought calm possession and sound decision-making to the midfield, describing his arrival as "a natural thing" despite previous competitive encounters between the clubs. Ødegaard also praised Tzolis's early contribution to the team. The Norwegian missed 16 Premier League starts last season due to injuries including problems with his knee, shoulder and muscles, restricting his output to one goal in the league.

Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence against Coventry on Friday. Ødegaard said the Community Shield victory represented a statement of intent ahead of the new campaign, adding that he aims to contribute more goals and assists this season after using his previous injuries as motivation to return stronger. He also noted that the squad is determined to win additional trophies beyond last season's league title, which Arsenal secured in May.