Watch out, Premier League — Arsenal are still the team to beat

August 23, 2026 6 min read 4

Arsenal made a dream start to their Premier League title defense by coasting to a 3-0 win against promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.

First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka, followed by a Martin Ødegaard strike four minutes into the second half, completed a straightforward win for the Gunners against a side that won the EFL Championship with an 11-point margin last season.

Despite Coventry’s success last season, the gulf between the two sides was huge and gave Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard an early warning as to how tough it will be to keep his team in the top flight.

Arsenal barely looked troubled by Lampard’s players and could have won by a greater margin, but the priority for manager Mikel Arteta was to avoid an opening-day embarrassment, and his team achieved that in emphatic fashion. — Mark Ogden

Arsenal lay down early marker as champions

The result was never in doubt from the moment Havertz put Arsenal in front. The Emirates was often a fraught venue in the second half of last season, as almost every league game turned into an agonizing crawl toward the finish line. But winning their first title in 22 years has seemingly liberated everyone in red to the extent the prematch feel-good factor only increased throughout the 90 minutes.

The level of opposition was limited, and Arsenal are now unbeaten in 46 consecutive home matches against newly promoted opposition. But nevertheless, this was a commanding display which only reinforces their status as this season’s title favorites. Tougher tests lie ahead — Aston Villa a week from Monday are next — but an evening stroll like this was the ideal start as the Gunners aim to pick up where they left off last season.

There was even the sight of further reinforcements as center back Ezri Konsa was presented to supporters after completing a £55 million move from Aston Villa earlier in the day. Arsenal’s squad depth is undeniably impressive: Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi and Piero Hincapié all came on while Viktor Gyökeres didn’t even get a kick. They are undeniably the team to beat. — James Olley

Havertz cements first-choice status at striker

It is maybe easy to forget that Arsenal signed Gyökeres last summer as an upgrade on Havertz. And yet, as the season wore on and doubts persisted around Gyökeres, Havertz forced his way back into the team. With both players fit following their World Cup exploits, that hierarchy has continued with Havertz getting the nod against City and once more here.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring on 15 minutes with a smooth, controlled finish that exemplifies his class when on song. He has now scored in four consecutive competitive matches — Burnley and Paris Saint-Germain last season, City and Coventry this term — for the first time in his career in England.

The Sweden international was an unused substitute and faces a fight to start regularly for Arsenal this season, and that’s before they make any move for a striker in the transfer window. The Gunners hold an interest in Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez — with reports in Spain suggesting they might even allow Gyökeres to leave as part of any deal — but an agreement looks difficult given the LaLiga club’s reluctance to let him leave.

Either way, a year ago, Gyökeres was billed as the No. 9 who could transform Arsenal’s attack. Twelve months on, Havertz is in pole position. — Olley

Zubimendi fading from Arsenal picture?

This was a good night for Arsenal but a bad one for Martin Zubimendi. The Spain midfielder, a £55.8 million signing from Real Sociedad just a year ago, started this game on the substitutes’ bench despite new arrival Bruno Guimarães missing out due to injury. With Guimarães absent, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta turned to Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield alongside Declan Rice and Odegaard, just as he did in the closing weeks of last season when the Gunners needed big performances in the Premier League and Champions League.

Zubimendi did get some action by replacing Rice halfway through the second half, and manager Mikel Arteta said Friday that he doesn’t want to offload the defensive midfielder this window. But the 27-year-old certainly faces an uncertain future. Guimarães is clearly ahead of him in the pecking order, and Lewis-Skelly, despite playing mostly at left back, is also now getting regular games ahead of him.

While Arteta might want the security of having Zubimendi in his squad, the player might have other ideas if this is a sign of things to come. — Ogden

Tzolis sparkles on the wing in debut

Arsenal have been linked with some stellar left wingers this summer, most notably Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior and Bradley Barcola at Paris Saint-Germain. In that context, some Gunners supporters might have been slightly underwhelmed by Christos Tzolis, who joined from Club Brugge in a £34 million deal, starting the season on that flank.

But after a promising start against Manchester City, the 24-year-old built on that impressively with a lively home debut Friday. Tzolis won the ball back high up the pitch to start the move that led to Havertz’s opener, then provided the cross that Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth palmed into Saka’s path for the second.

Arsenal allowed Leandro Trossard to join Besiktas while Gabriel Martinelli was left out of the matchday squad as the Gunners continue to search for possible attacking reinforcements. In the meantime, Tzolis is taking his opportunity to impress. — Olley

Coventry might not be long for Premier League

The good news for Coventry City is that they got the hardest game of the season out of the way on Day 1, but the bad news is that it won’t get that much easier for the Premier League newcomers. Nobody gave Lampard’s side much hope against the champions at the Emirates, but the Sky Blues looked a million miles away from being a team capable of competing in the top flight.

Coventry won the EFL Championship by amassing 95 points last season, and they have spent almost £140 million this summer to bolster their squad. But to be harsh, it didn’t look like that against Arsenal. On this performance, Coventry will need to spend another £140 million just to keep their heads above water. It was a mistake-ridden performance, and only striker Ellis Simms, who gave Gabriel Magalhães a physical battle, looked like he was ready to make the step up to the big league.

Coventry play fellow promoted side Hull at home next weekend in what could be the earliest-ever relegation battle in Premier League history, so at least there is an early chance to get points on the board. But right now, it looks like a long season ahead for Lampard and his players. — Ogden

Tags: #Arsenal #Aston villa #Besiktas #Bradley barcola #Bukayo saka #Burnley #champions league #Championship

Journalist