Ruben Dias has slammed Manchester City’s Community Shield loss to Arsenal as ‘not good enough’.
City were second best by a distance as Enzo Maresca’s first game in charge ended in defeat in Cardiff, as Premier League champions Arsenal ran out 3-0 winners.
Riccardo Calafiori dealt the first blow inside 24 seconds, before further goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard sealed success for Arsenal.
The result was a deflating one for the Cityzens, who begin a new era under Maresca this season, following Pep Guardiola’s decision to step down after a decade of success.
City looked short of match sharpness as Arsenal cruised to victory, and Dias insisted there’s plenty of work to be done ahead of the club’s Premier League opener next weekend.
“Well, obviously not good enough,” the City captain said to TNT Sports.
“First of all, thank you to the fans that came. Obviously a long distance. Thank you to all of them for coming so far. It is the beginning of the season, it is not good enough. In the end, this is just the start, and the most important thing is we’re already looking forward and we will be ready for our next game.
“I joined midway [in pre-season]. This is the third game since I have been back. The feeling has been good. Today is frustrating, and it is a final that we all wanted to win. If there is a lesson to be learnt in the final, let it be this one, as there’s a lot more coming. It is a positive energy.
“The feeling of a lot of work to put into. It’s part of any transition for things to be not so perfect in the beginning. You need to push through, you need to communicate, and make things work between us. I feel we’re in a very good way, but we need to keep on working. There’s going to be lots of challenges along the way.”
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