Arsenal headed into the Community Shield without being considered overwhelming favourites to defend their Premier League title this season.
Their summer business strengthened the midfield with the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes, but their forward line was not considered an improvement on the previous campaign.
Missing out on reported targets including Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior left many questioning whether Arsenal had done enough to stay ahead of their rivals.
All of that pre-season discussion was firmly put to bed when the Gunners dismantled Manchester City 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium in the Welsh capital.
Kai Havertz, Christos Tzolis, and Martin Odegaard were the headline makers on the afternoon, but Guimaraes produced a standout performance on his competitive debut.
Much of the pre-match narrative centred on the midfield battle between Guimaraes and Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest for £116m this summer.
By comparison, Arsenal’s signing of Guimaraes from Newcastle represented considerable value at £75m, and the Brazilian looked every bit worth that fee on Sunday.
He played only the opening 45 minutes before being replaced by Declan Rice, yet managed 32 touches, completed 19 of 24 passes, won both his duels, and made just one unsuccessful touch.
Guimaraes completed both of his long balls and succeeded with nine of his ten passes inside his own half, linking up beautifully with Odegaard on several occasions down the right flank.
Arsenal had struggled to escape their own half against Manchester City in the crucial closing weeks of last season, but that problem was nowhere to be seen in this contest.
It shows precisely why manager Mikel Arteta prefers signing Premier League-proven players, and that philosophy could shape Arsenal’s remaining transfer business before the window closes.
There are two areas the club must still address, with investment in the forward line considered a priority, and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye mentioned as one domestic option.
Defensive reinforcement is equally urgent after William Saliba was ruled out with a lengthy back injury, leaving a significant gap at the heart of Arsenal’s backline.
Options including Atletico Madrid’s Marc Pubill and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarell Quansah have been discussed, but the number one target appears to be Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.
BBC journalist Sami Mokbel, speaking on the Arsenal Latte Firm podcast, shed light on exactly why Konsa tops the list ahead of other available options.
Mokbel said: “I am led to believe that out of the two, Ezri Konsa is the preferred option for Mikel Arteta who wants plug and play.”
Mokbel added: “Because Saliba is expected to be out for a significant period of time, the team hasn’t got time for someone to come in and adapt.”
He continued: “They need someone to come in and play in that position alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.”
Konsa is expected to cost somewhere in the region of £60m to £65m, a figure that raises understandable questions given the outlay already committed this summer.
Yet if the Guimaraes template holds, Arsenal appear ready and willing to back Arteta with another proven, established signing capable of stepping in and delivering immediately.