Arteta praises perfect balance of Arsenal midfield options after Community Shield win over Man City

Mikel Arteta is delighted with the balance of his Arsenal midfield and believes he has a group that complements each others qualities.

Arsenal picked up the first silverware of the season with a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield. The Gunners produced a dominant performance in Cardiff, with new signing Bruno Guimaraes starting in midfield.

Arsenal's impressive performance came despite the absence of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino from the start, following their late returns from the 2026 World Cup.

The latter recently lauded Arsenal's midfield group as the best in world football, with Arteta addressing those comments post-match.

"It's the best midfield for Arsenal, that's for sure. That's what we have to make it, everybody complements with their qualities to the player next to them and that we have this variability, that diversity with the qualities that we need in relation to the opponent.

"Today again, we've seen it, we've changed it, and we bring other qualities in different moments of the game, and that's a really strong thing to have."

Arteta celebrates Arsenal midfield blend and resurging captain Martin Odegaard

Arteta also praised the performance of Martin Odegaard, who scored a brilliant third goal at the Principality Stadium. The Spaniard hopes his captain has overcome the injury problems that plagued him last season and backed Odegaard for a big season.

"He missed five or six months for different things and it was extremely difficult for him to get any momentum. I'm sure this year if we can maintain him fit, available with the players around him, we're going to see a very different Martin.

"I sense from the first day that he joined that he has something else in the belly that he wants to prove and show because the team needs it as well."