Arsenal 3-0 Coventry City: Premier League – as it happened

… and with that, this MBM comes to an end. Ed Aarons was at the Emirates, and here’s his report. Thanks for reading this one! Frank Lampard’s turn to talk to Sky. “Clearly a big challenge … fantastic team … a good lesson for our boys … they played like champions … the experience is probably good for us … the goals were not great from us … you’ve seen more from us than that … we’ll improve … I don’t want to judge the lads on that tonight … I’m calm … we lost the game and we will learn our lessons … every game won’t look like that … I’m not concerned about the touches in the box tonight [Coventry had four] … the result is what it is … we’ll go over the detail and get better … we were a little bit timid in the first half … Leeds came here last year and lost 5-0 and stayed in the Premier League so I’m not making any early judgements … there are adjustments for us to make and we’ll make them … it has to be positive even if defeat is hard to take always … there may be more to do while the window is still open … we’re pretty happy with where we are at the minute.” Mikel Arteta speaks to Sky. “There was a lot to like, right from the beginning … we were really dominant … flow … connected with each other in a really impressive way … overall very positive … a lot of big individual performances as well … I was very impressed … there were moments after the third goal I wasn’t too happy about … the compactness of the team … we need to keep improving … [Bruno Guimarães and Ezri Konsa] are 28, not 38, in their prime … they are going to give us so much.” Ed Aarons was at the Emirates. Here’s his report … though if you’re after the views of both managers, make sure to come back here, because this MBM is not done just yet. Coming up … Next for Arsenal: a trip to Aston Villa on Bank Holiday Monday. Coventry will have played twice by then, after going to Plymouth Argyle in the League Cup next Tuesday, and hosting Hull City at home on the Saturday. Coventry captain Matt Grimes talks to Sky. “Disappointing … we’ve not been used to losing … we always knew it would be a tough ask … we spoke at half-time about being a bit braver … we were a little bit in our shells in the first half … so we wanted to give a better account of ourselves … when you play such a high level of player, little mistakes become big mistakes … we’re ready for it … we want to give the season a good go … our season is not going to be defined by coming to places like this and getting beat … obviously we wanted to cause a bit of an upset but it wasn’t meant to be … we learned a lot … we go again … we won’t be too disheartened.” Arsenal captain and player of the match Martin Ødegaard talks to Sky Sports. “First game of the season is always a bit nervy … they played well … they gave us a good battle … we created a lot of chances … it was solid … there are things we could have done better … we could be more precise and sharp around the box … many times we play a low block … we need those relationships … a lot of movement … even more sharp with the last pass … the quality in the squad is unbelievable … we push each other … [his goal] was not the best finish but I was there!” Some numerical admin. The xG finished Arsenal 1.80, Coventry 0.28. Meanwhile … and we do appreciate that some readers might consider this a bit previous … here’s what tonight’s match has done to the top and bottom of the table. Can anyone catch Arsenal? Can Coventry stage a great escape? Yes, we really should know better; thank you so much for putting up with us. The Emirates breaks into warm applause as Arsenal open their title defence with a fine performance. Martin Ødegaard ran the show, Premier League debutant Christos Tzolis was a constant threat on the left, Bukayo Saka looks back to his best on the right. They’ll take some knocking off their perch. Coventry meanwhile won’t get a tougher assignment all season – they’ve just visited the home of the best team in England and the second-best in Europe – and while the late chance missed by Jack Rudoni will irritate a little bit, if nothing else it proves they’re capable of crafting something against the big teams. And they limited Arsenal to three, when for a while things threatened to get out of hand. Some useful lessons learned. Arsenal’s future is assured; it’s far from the end of the world for the Sky Blues. The champions open their defence with a confident win. 90 min +3: “A steep learning curve for the Sky Blues,” writes Robert Jones. “I was expecting an absolute humiliation after the first half, but Coventry have learnt a lot about themselves with a worthy performance in the second half.” 90 min +2: Now it’s Coventry fans filling the air with song, as they give Jimmy Hill’s spin on the Eton Boating Song a run out. 90 min +1: In the first of four additional minutes, Havertz aims for the bottom right from long range. Rushworth gets down to stop. 90 min: Torp balloons the free kick over everyone’s head. Goal kick. On Sky, Jamie Carragher names Odegaard as the player of the match. I’d have gone Tzolis myself, but Carra’s got the caps and medals, so fair enough. 89 min: Mosquera cynically skittles Awoniyi out on the left, and is fortunate not to go into the book. But it is a free kick, which Torp prepares to send into the mixer. 88 min: It’s all petering out now. Arsenal fans care not a jot, as they run through their champions songbook. 86 min: … so having said that, nine seconds later, Torp crosses from the left and finds Rudoni in the middle, six yards out. Rudoni has to score, but slaps a header straight at Raya. That should have been the consolation. 85 min: Onyeka sprays a long pass down the left for Awoniyi to chase … but there’s simply no way past Mosquera, who escorts him away from danger. Coventry haven’t threatened a consolation at all. 83 min: Coventry welcome back Hamer, who replaces Tchaouna. 82 min: Califiori is replaced by Hincapie. Arsenal’s squad depth is outrageous. 81 min: Zubimendi whips a cross in dangerously from the right. Havertz prepares to head home from close range, but Amenda flicks clear, just in time. A goal-saving clearance. 80 min: Arsenal pass the ball around with style and sass. Coventry hold their shape. 78 min: Madueke rides a couple of challenges to keep possession down the right, before slipping Merino into space in the box. For once, Merino’s goalscoring radar is off, and his poor shot is easily blocked. 76 min: Merino and Eze come on for Odegaard and Tzolis, who has already earned hero status if the cheer his name receives is anything to go by. Which it is. Deservedly so, given his eye-catching performances so far. 74 min: Van Ewijk throws long from the right. Mosquera heads clear. Rudoni nearly nips in from the left, but can’t reach the ball. Coventry still haven’t put Raya to work. 72 min: Madueke is quickly into the action, swaying down the inside-right before feeding Odegaard infield. Odegaard opens his body and shoots, but his effort is blocked. Arsenal come again, and Lewis-Skelly nearly releases Calafiori into the box with a cute pass down the inside-left channel. Rushworth is out quickly to smother and claim. 70 min: Coventry respond with a double change of their own. Thomas-Asante and the disappointing Simms are replaced by Rudoni and another debutant in Awoniyi. 69 min: Rice and Saka make way for Madueke and Zubimendi. Arsenal in full squad-management mode now. 67 min: Thomas takes a speculative whack from distance. He doesn’t connect properly, the shot dragged harmlessly left, but it looks like the ball takes a nick off Mosquera on its way out of play. Coventry don’t get the corner, and surround the referee, Grimes nearly getting himself booked (or worse) for telling it as he sees it, perhaps even the gentle laying on of hands. The referee stays calm and makes do with a lecture. 65 min: Tzolis continues to tear it up down the left. He reaches the edge of the box and tries to slip in Havertz on the underlap; Thomas comes across to concede another corner. Rice swings it in. Rushworth clears. Tzolis meets the dropping ball and fires through the crowd. Rushworth parries, but can’t claim, and Amenda is forced to hoick clear. It’s not been a banner evening for the Coventry keeper. 63 min: One of Coventry’s debutants, the midfielder Yirenkyi, makes way for Torp. 62 min: Rice plays the corner short, but Coventry intercept and break en masse. But Dasilva can’t decide who to pass to, and the counter fizzles out. 61 min: Tzolis and Calafiori combine down the left, the latter eventually cutting back for the winger, whose first-time screeching shot pings off Grimes and out for another Arsenal corner. 60 min: Simms’ miscontrol was Coventry’s first touch in the Arsenal box this evening. It’s been a baptism of fire all right. 59 min: Dasilva drives hard down the left, cutting infield and reaching the edge of the box before trying a one-two with Simms. It doesn’t come off as Simms miscontrols. But that little cameo from Dasilva, a rare burst of Coventry energy, will give the visitors succour. 57 min: The corner finally comes in from the left. Thomas competes but White clears. Arsenal counter, and Odegaard tries to release Tzolis into the box with a defence-splitter down the middle. But he overhits the pass, and Tzolis was offside anyway. 56 min: The corner’s still not been taken, because the referee’s smart watch is jiggered. He trots off to change it. 55 min: Tchaouna crosses deep from the right. White clears. Coventry come again, with Van Ewijk down the same flank this time. His cross is too long for Simms in the middle. But Dasilva doesn’t give it up, and wins a corner with a barrelling run down the left. 53 min: … but nothing comes from the resulting corner. 52 min: Rushworth redeems himself by tipping a fiercely whipped Lewis-Skelly curler over the bar. That was heading into the top left. Coventry are really hanging on now. 50 min: Odegaard celebrated that one sheepishly. He knows it’s really on the keeper. But it was another smooth Arsenal move. They’re putting it together tonight. Saka feeds White on the overlap out on the right. White reaches the byline and cuts back from Odegaard, who has to score from eight yards … and does, but only after scuffing a shot towards the bottom right that should be stopped. However Rushworth, diving the wrong way, flaps a weak hand at the ball, which apologetically rolls over the line. 48 min: Thomas-Asante runs purposefully down the inside-left channel and looks to have been skittled unnecessarily by White, just outside the area. But he’s not getting the free kick. Coventry livid, as is krishnamoorthy v, who splutters: “Saka talking during half time!? What next? Hydration breaks and cheerleaders with pom poms?” 47 min: Arsenal start the second half as they finished the first, by hogging the ball. They’re in total control of this, and have been ever since the 48-second mark. In other news, here’s Justin Kavanagh: “I notice Arteta is starting the new season in the driver’s seat, so to speak, in much more relaxed-fit, extra-length pants than last season’s school uniform variety. He’s earned a breather. Arsenal get the second half started. No changes. Meanwhile Andrew Goudie, age undefined, writes: “Just to reinforce your demographic profile. A friend of mine told me that he once went to Highfield Road and realised at the turnstile that he hadn’t brought any cash. In a panic, he asked if they would take a cheque, which they did.” Half-time advertisement break. Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Bukayo Saka has a half-time chat with Sky Sports, because yes, football has come to this. “It’s a great start from us … we’ve had a great 45 minutes … we’ve played really well … flowed well … the Arsenal we want to see this season … we want more … we want to score more goals … that’s the attitude we’re gonna come back out with.” Half-time postbag. “A Frank Lampard team in the Premier League looking bright going forward but far too open and easy to score against going the other way? I, for one, am shocked” – Louwrens Botha “I am sure the pundits will slag Coventry as not being worthy of the Premier League but Arsenal is going do this to many opponents this year. Look at what they did to Man City. They are a wagon” – Mary Waltz “Uncontroversial Comment of the Evening: Arsenal looking pretty good” – Charles Antaki The Gunners are playing very well, with Coventry hanging on a bit. The champions versus the newly promoted, it’s all fair enough. 45 min +1: … Odegaard wins another with a speculative shot that’s deflected right. And from the second corner of the sequence, Rice is afforded far too much time out on the right, and curls powerfully towards the top left. Rushworth isn’t necessarily getting to the shot, even at full stretch, but the ball drifts wide. 45 min: OK, well scrub that. Tzolis bustles in from the left and prepares to shoot, only to be clumsily clanked by Yirenkyi, who having already been booked wants to watch himself here. The referee waves play on, and Odegaard wins a corner on the right. From which … 44 min: Arsenal have powered down, pinging the ball between themselves at the back, waiting for the whistle, their first-half work long done. 42 min: Tchaouna, who has been Coventry’s brightest attacker, to undeservedly damn with faint praise, nearly halves the deficit in spectacular style. Taking up possession with his back to goal on the edge of the Arsenal D, he hooks a gentle overhead up, down and towards the top-right corner. It very nearly beats Raya, who backtracks in a panic, but the ball just clears the crossbar and lands on the top of the net. What a goal that would have been! 41 min: I can’t be the only viewer of a certain vintage who occasionally squints at the camera and convinces himself that the red sponsorship on Coventry’s shirt reads GRANADA BINGO … just because I want that to be the case? 39 min: No penalty. The shot fairly clearly hit Van Ewijk on the back. Maybe a smidgen of elbow, but it was tucked into his body, and the defender wasn’t even facing the ball. 38 min: … and the ball’s cut back for Calafiori, who shoots into a crowded box. It’s blocked and cleared … but VAR wants to check for a possible penalty. 37 min: Saka wins another Arsenal corner down the right. He takes it himself. It’s half cleared. But Arsenal come back through Tzolis down the left … 35 min: Grimes curls the free kick to the far post, where Mosquera clears easily enough, Yirenkyi behind him, waiting to power a header goalwards. Arsenal break upfield, and Tzolis is fairly crudely shoulder-barged to the floor by Van Ewijk, who is fortunate not to go into the book. 34 min: … and now he brings down Simms, who spins him on the left. A free kick, just outside the box, and a booking for Gabriel, who is now grimacing for a totally different reason. 33 min: Gabriel may be having a bit of bother with the foot Simms stood on. He’s wolfed down a painkiller, and is flinching a little bit whenever he kicks the ball. 31 min: Arsenal respond by pressing Coventry back in their final third. Odegaard, buoyed by his fine World Cup, looking lively. 29 min: Coventry settle down a little bit, and string together a few passes in the Arsenal half. Tchaouna at the heart of most of it. They don’t really advance much, but that’s not really the point with the game in its current state. Small acorns. 27 min: Lewis-Skelly barges Yirenkyi off the ball. Coventry’s new midfielder tries to win it back, but only manages to clatter his in-flight opponent from behind, and into the book he goes. 26 min: The second xG reading of the season: Arsenal 1.04, Coventry 0.01. 25 min: Arsenal stroke the ball around the back awhile. Very patient. Then a long pass down the right that nearly releases White, who is nudged by Dasilva. White goes over, demanding the free kick, but he’s not getting one. Arsenal looking so dangerous, though. It’s going to be a long night for everyone in blue and white. Rice bombs forward and slips the ball to the irrepressible Tsolis on the left. Tsolis crosses low and hard. Rushworth gets down to palm the ball away from Havertz, but only manages to wrong-foot his defenders and tee up Saka, who can’t miss, tapping home from a couple of yards. 21 min: Saka dribbles hard at Dasilva again, reaching the box before finding White infield. White shuttles the ball on for Lewis-Skelly, who can’t get a shot away quick enough. Another slick move, though, and it looks like being a long night for poor old Dasilva. 19 min: It’s all Arsenal. Coventry go on a rare sortie upfield, Simms chasing a pass down the left. He accidentally stands on Gabriel’s foot, and play stops for the defender to grimace and hop around a bit. He’ll be OK to continue. 17 min: Frank Lampard had been on the touchline, seconds before the goal, pleased with the way his team had started out at the home of the champions. He came to the edge of the pitch and applauded. But seconds later his mood went south. Incidentally, it was nice of Arsenal to have waited just long enough for us to get that bottling callback (12 min) in. Van Ewijk fluffs a clearance near the left-hand corner flag. He’s closed down. Calafiori takes up possession and crosses low for Havertz, who sweeps majestically into the bottom right. What a finish! The champions up and running in short order! 14 min: The first xG reading of the season: Arsenal 0.28, Coventry 0.02. 12 min: From the resulting corner, Saka delivers straight into Rushworth’s arms. No score yet, so as per Harry Christie’s pre-match email, we have to ask: are Arsenal bottling this league challenge? 11 min: Saka drives at Dasilva down the right and crosses from a tight angle. Dasilva sticks out a boot and deflects behind, the ball nearly sneaking into the top right from a really tight angle. 9 min: Tzolis is everywhere. Here he is down the left again, this time cutting back for Rice, who balloons an effort over the bar from long range. The champions look up for this. 8 min: … the ball’s worked in triangles back down the right, then across the face of the Coventry box for White, whose forensic sidefoot towards the bottom left is cleared by the already-busy Thomas. Lovely move, and not your usual Arsenal corner routine. 7 min: Tzolis races down the right this time, and cuts back for Saka, whose chest-down-and-hit is deflected wide right by Thomas. And from that corner … 6 min: Tzolis drives down the left, cuts infield, goes back a little, then on the edge of the box swivels and sends a fierce rising drive over the bar. That was travelling, and not all that far away from the top-right corner. Rushworth might have had it covered. 4 min: Arsenal fans give their Champions of England song the first run out of the season. You know how it goes: we know what they are. Meanwhile Fulham fan Richard Hirst sends in an email headed “Realism corner”. Yes, it’s come to this already. “On the basis that we face Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd in our first five games, Fulham need to make sure that there are at least three teams below us at that point. So come on Arsenal go large, goal difference could matter. (It’s never too early to panic!)” 2 min: … but that was a statement of intent by Coventry. Whatever happens this season, you don’t expect the Championship champions to die wondering. 49 seconds: No. Mikel Arteta and Frank Lampard hug it out … there’s a blast of that anthem … then Coventry get the ball rolling. Rushworth launches long … and within 17 seconds, Tchaouna wins the first corner of the season with a determined run down the right! They couldn’t, could they? The hosts welcome their NEW!!! signing Ezri Konsa … and then tonight’s teams emerge from the tunnel. A wild and wonderful pyro-party atmosphere at the home of the NEW!!! champions. Arsenal are in their NEW!!! red and white shirts while Coventry sport their NEW!!! blue and white striped tops. Gotta love the start of the season. Excited, yes? “Arsenal fan here,” answers Harry Christie. “After finally getting over the line last year, some savvy recruitment in the summer and in a year where approximately half the league is in a state of flux, if Arsenal start the season slowly at what point do we reckon the ‘bottling it’ talk will commence? My money’s on somewhere around the 12th minute tonight.” We’ll be off once the pre-match pleasantries have been concluded. Pre-season postbag: moaning about the state of modern television and pop music (which kind of gives away our demographic but what are you gonna do?) edition. “Almost as good as the music from those Granada Football titles is the variety in the clips. There’s fouls, bad control, close misses, mud, as well as a couple of goals. The people who put that together clearly had a much better understanding of the game than those who think all we’re interested in is seeing the ball hitting the net” – David Wall “I saw a very early Kasabian at Brixton Academy, sandwiched between the Cooper Temple Clause and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Both of whom were much more entertaining. They were toilet then, and they’re toilet now. But in fairness, they have since been tremendously successful, if a little one-dimensional. Entirely unrelated, Arsenal surely can’t do it again. I’m predicting a battling third-place finish for them” – Matt Dony Pre-season postbag: football edition. “Arsenal and Coventry means only one thing to me. Boxing Day 1999, Coventry 3 Arsenal 2. Robbie Keane scored the most impudent of goals. It probably doesn’t stick out for other people but my parents had finally got Sky (Christmas present) and this was one of the first matches that I watched at home and it has stayed with all these years. Strange how something so inconsequential can stay in the memory for some reason like that” – John Brennan “How to take on this Arsenal? Well it is kind of straight forward. Look at what Arsenal does when their press is broken: they drop into a 4-4-2 (11 behind the ball) such that any ball carrier will always be running at two defenders. If Arsenal wide men (Tzolis, Madueke) get a run at single defenders, Coventry is going to get diced. If Coventry keep two on ones everywhere, the only Arsenal player that can reliably beat a double team is 16 years old. 0-0. Well done Sky Blues!” – Drew Lundgren “It is so great to have Premier League football back so, at least for a moment, we have something to take our minds off of the hellscape we live in today. Will Coventry get blitzed? Of course, but it will be fun anyway” – Mary Waltz “I recently wrote a few words about Coventry’s 3-0 win at Highbury in 1993. As an Arsenal fan who sat in the new North Bank that day, it wasn’t much fun” – Steve Pye Plenty of debutants in the cast tonight. Every single one of them will have been dreaming of something like this … Mikel Arteta’s turn to talk pitchside to Sky. “The players need that desire to go again … I certainly have it … we have to create an opportunity … we don’t know what other clubs are going to do … we have to be the best version of ourselves … we have to deliver our game for 96 minutes every three days … if you are not capable of doing that, you are in trouble … we have to get better … we are trying to improve the team [in the transfer window] … but so far I am very happy.” He also reports that Bruno Guimarães “had a slight tension in his groin … he did not have a pre-season … we need to take him bit by bit.” Coventry manager Frank Lampard speaks to Sky Sports. “It means a great deal … the story of 25 years … what the fans were desperate for … we’ve managed to bring that back to the club … amazing, but now reality’s here and we’re driving up to the Emirates … I love it … the top level … the team that got us here deserve it … you’re gonna play Arsenal away at some point in the season … our season will not be defined by this game … we need to keep the balance … of course we had to add to it … we’re happy with what we’ve done … hopefully that’ll show on the pitch.” Arsenal make two changes to the side that started the 3-0 Community Shield rout of Manchester City. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice replace Noni Madueke, who is benched, and the injured Bruno Guimarães, who is expected to be missing for a few weeks after picking up a thigh problem at Wembley. Christos Tzolis makes his Premier League debut. Coventry City have a few debutants on their teamsheet. Swiss defender Aurèle Amenda, Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi and French winger Loum Tchaouna start, while Taiwo Awoniyi, this week’s signing from Nottingham Forest, and Gustavo Hamer, newly returned from Sheffield United, are on the bench. Arsenal: Raya, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Odegaard, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Saka, Havertz, Tzolis. Subs: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Eze, Gyokeres, Madueke, Nwaneri, Merino, Zubimendi, Dowman. Coventry City: Rushworth, van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva, Onyeka, Yirenkyi, Grimes, Thomas-Asante, Simms, Tchaouna. Subs: Wilson, Rudoni, Sakamoto, Awoniyi, Kitching, Latibeaudiere, Eccles, Overgaard, Hamer. Referee: Thomas Bramall VAR: Jarred Gillett BREAKING NEWS: Sky Sports are still using that indefensible Kasabian racket for their Premier League theme tune. Bah. Had been very much hoping they’d replace it for the new campaign. Me, I’d pop the master tapes in the nearest brazier, and instead whack on Magic Trumpet by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, last used in this specific context by Granada Television for their gloriously Soviet-branded late-60s programme FOOTBALL. Tell me this wouldn’t improve your mood at least tenfold every time you heard it. … and now some Cov-infused build-up. That opening-weekend fever beginning to kick in now, right? Some even-hotter-off-the-press preview action here. Firstly of an Arsenal bent … … so let’s start at the very beginning. One step before the beginning, in fact. The Guardian presents, for your edification, the Premier League 2026-27 previews for Arsenal and Coventry City. Just in case you missed them. The Premier League is back, and you won’t get too many people making a case for newly promoted Coventry City to get something in tonight’s opening game against champions Arsenal. But then on the first day of the 1993-94 season, Micky Quinn did this … … and there weren’t too many at Highbury expecting that either. Throw in that Lee Dixon own goal, the centrepiece of another early-season away win for Cov, this time in 1991-92 with Arsenal reigning champions, and the Sky Blues have some disruptive form here. On the other hand, that was over 30 years ago, and Arsenal have won all five of the meetings between these clubs in the 21st century, albeit the last of those being in 2014. So take your pick as the champions of England meet the winners of the Championship. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s back, and it’s on!