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Arsenal have sent an early warning to their Premier League rivals after defeating Manchester City 3-0 to lift the Community Shield in impressive fashion.

The Gunners took control almost immediately, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring after just 24 seconds to register the quickest Community Shield goal since 1968.

The early strike set the tone for a one-sided encounter, as Arsenal dominated possession, pressed aggressively and kept City under sustained pressure.
Calafiori’s opener came after Myles Lewis-Skelly delivered a superb pass behind the City defence, allowing the Italian defender to finish confidently.
Arsenal continued to dictate proceedings, with Bruno Guimarães making an eye-catching debut following his £75 million move from Newcastle United.

His physical presence and combination with Lewis-Skelly helped Arsenal control the midfield and allowed captain Martin Ødegaard greater freedom to influence the game.
City struggled to match Arsenal’s intensity, and the Gunners doubled their advantage when Ødegaard delivered a dangerous ball towards the back post. Christos Tzolis headed it back across goal, allowing Kai Havertz to finish from close range.
Arsenal completed the rout shortly after half-time.

Lewis-Skelly and Tzolis combined again before Ødegaard broke into the penalty area, rounded Gianluigi Donnarumma and calmly slotted the ball home to make it 3-0.

The victory will provide Arsenal with a major confidence boost ahead of the new Premier League campaign, while their performance highlighted the quality and depth of their revamped squad.

For City, the defeat exposed several weaknesses and offered an early reminder that Arsenal could be among the strongest contenders for the Premier League title this season.

With the Community Shield now secured, Arsenal will head into the league campaign with renewed confidence and a statement victory over one of their biggest rivals.

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Algeria on Saturday claimed the bronze medal after beating Morocco in the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, third-place final.

Algeria won 3-2 on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw after regulation time.

Morocco started brightly and came close to opening the scoring in the 17th minute when Ibtissam Jraidi’s first-time effort struck the crossbar.

They eventually found the breakthrough nine minutes later, thanks to Kautar Azraf’s goal.

However, Algeria equalized in the 83rd minute after Melissa Bethi produced a brilliant through ball for Boussaha, who showed composure to tuck the ball past the goalkeeper.

The result earns Algeria a bronze medal and a podium finish at the WAFCON, while Morocco finishes fourth.

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Former boxer Prichard Colón has died at age 33, 11 years after sustaining life-altering blows to the head during the only defeat of his professional career.

Colón’s father shared the news via Facebook on Thursday.

“I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world,” Richard Colón wrote, adding: “Now he is in a better world.”

“Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers,” he added.

Colón was born in Florida, but his family moved to Puerto Rico when he was a child.

He emerged as a promising young talent, smashing a run of national amateur championships to win five titles, and earning a Youth Pan American gold medal, all before turning 20.

His professional career, beginning in 2013, was similarly successful. The super welterweight competed in a total of 17 matches; he won 16 of those, and 13 were by knockout.

Notably, Colón was victorious when he fought former WBA champion Vivian Harris in September 2015, knocking him out in the fourth round.

But a month later, Colón competed against Terrel Williams at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, on a night that proved fateful to the rising star.

Colón, who was 23 at the time, sustained injuries including an illegal blow to the head during his 10-round fight with Williams, Reuters reported the fight’s promoter, Lou DiBella, as saying in a statement after the event.

The young fighter exhibited symptoms of head trauma in his dressing room following the bout and was rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain, DiBella said.

Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him. Colón was briefly examined in his corner, while Williams was penalized for the illegal punch.

Colón was then knocked down twice in the ninth round.

He was disqualified after the ninth round, when his corner mistakenly took off his gloves, thinking it was the final round and that the fight was complete, according to a Reuters report after the match.

While Colón survived, his injuries forced him to retire. In images shared by his father online since the fight, he was often pictured in a wheelchair.

The World Boxing Council (WBC) paid tribute to Colón, describing him as an “eternal champion” in a statement released on Thursday.

“With a heavy heart and immense sadness enveloping the entire international boxing community, the World Boxing Council and its President, Mauricio Sulaimán, mourn the passing of former boxer and icon of bravery, Prichard Colón Meléndez,” the organization said.

“Prichard didn’t just fight with skill; he fought with the elegance and pride of carrying Puerto Rico’s flag to the greatest heights,” it added.

The WBC previously named Colón an “Honorary World Champion,” and presented him with the iconic Green and Gold belt that it said he “always deserved.”

The organization also said Colón’s tragedy inspired it to “categorically reinforce safety regulations, driving zero tolerance for blows to the back of the head (rabbit punches),” and to implement stricter medical protocols.

“Rest in peace, dear Prichard. Your legacy and your smile will live forever in our hearts,” the WBC said.