ARSENAL sunk Treble winners Manchester City in a shootout after an intense Community Shield clash packed with late drama.
Leandro Trossard’s wickedly-deflected shot ELEVEN minutes into stoppage time cancelled out City’s glorious late opener from sub Cole Palmer.
Then Kevin de Bruyne and Rodri missed from the spot and Fabio Vieira stroked home to seal a 4-1 victory on penalties for the Gunners.
Arsenal new boy Kai Havertz wasted two gaping first-half chances – but Treble winners City seemed set to win more silverware in a tumultuous 2023 before the need for a shootout.
City bossed the first quarter of an hour with smooth, relaxed possession play.
But the Gunners edged the rest of the first period, helped by Declan Rice dropping deeper.
The midfielder found more space there to pick a pass, as well as freeing right-back Ben White to overlap more.
Arsenal’s new ‘false No9′ Havertz missed by far the two finest opportunities of the opening 45 minutes.
First, White’s pull-back was just behind the German, who reacted well to swivel but saw his a left-footer smartly saved by Stefan Ortega.
But then Havertz should certainly have scored when Bukayo Saka’s centre from the same flank fell perfectly for him, only for the ex-Chelsea man to drill straight at Ortega.
Activity after the break was initially just as lively.
And Gunners’ stopper Aaron Ramsdale had to fling his hands up to keep out a header from high-rising City anchorman John Stones.
The number of chances and pace of the contest both seemed to be easing.
But then on 78 minutes Palmer peaked his superb cameo with the winner.
The English attacking midfielder, 21, dinked in from the right to measure a perfect left-foot curler into the far top corner.
Ramsdale then foiled Phil Foden as City appeared to be easing home in style.
But 11 minutes into added time – two more than allotted yet still two short of the finish – Trossard nipped in for a fierce low shot that veered in off City defender Manuel Akanji.
Arsenal then tucked home four confident shootout kicks, whereas De Bruyne hit the bar with his penalty and Rodri’s meek effort was kept out by Ramsdale.
