Arsenal needed little time to settle into their first league game since ending a 22-year wait for the title. Coventry made a decent start, but once the Gunners increased the tempo and their pressing began to take effect, the difference in quality became clear. Arsenal were already two goals up after 23 minutes and remained firmly in control from that point on.
Arsenal punish Coventry mistakes
In the 15th minute, Christos Tzolis put Milan van Ewijk under pressure and helped Arsenal regain possession in a dangerous area. Riccardo Calafiori then found Kai Havertz, who finished accurately to make it 1-0.
Arsenal struck again just eight minutes later. Tzolis delivered a dangerous ball from the left, Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth was unable to clear convincingly and Bukayo Saka reacted quickest to turn in the rebound from close range.
The balance of the game changed little after the break. In the 49th minute, Arsenal worked the ball forward down the right. Ben White cut it back for Martin Ødegaard, whose mishit effort wrong-footed Rushworth and found the net for 3-0.
The champions were then able to manage the game without having to push themselves to the limit. Arsenal finished with 20 attempts, while Coventry managed only four and rarely posed a genuine attacking threat.
Tzolis already looks a major addition
Christos Tzolis has settled into the Arsenal side remarkably quickly. The 24-year-old had already provided two assists in the 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City. Against Coventry, his aggressive pressing was the starting point for the opening goal before his delivery helped create the second just a few minutes later.
The Greece international joined from Club Brugge this summer and is expected to help fill the gap on the left following Leandro Trossard’s departure. His numbers in Belgium showed exactly why Arsenal moved for him: Tzolis recorded 43 goals and 45 assists across his two seasons with Brugge.
His direct style and willingness to attack the goal give Arteta another option. With Saka continuing to pose a major threat from the right, Arsenal now appear considerably harder to predict on the opposite flank as well.
Havertz has the edge over Gyökeres up front
The battle for the centre-forward role is also becoming an interesting early-season subplot. Havertz missed a large part of last season through injury but worked his way back into Arteta’s preferred line-up after returning.
The German was selected ahead of Viktor Gyökeres in the Champions League final and then started both the Community Shield and the league opener against Coventry. Havertz underlined his strong form by scoring in a fourth consecutive start for Arsenal.
Gyökeres’ role is also noteworthy. The Sweden international scored 21 goals in all competitions during his first season at Arsenal and played his part in the title triumph, but remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes against his former club Coventry. Arsenal therefore have two very different options through the middle, although Havertz currently appears to be ahead in the pecking order.
Coventry feel the step up to the Premier League
One remarkable statistic underlines how little Coventry were able to produce after the opening stages. The promoted side did not register a single touch inside the Arsenal penalty area during the entire first half. At the same time, they failed to make a single successful tackle before the break. Since Opta began recording the relevant data in 2007, Coventry became the first Premier League side to record zero in both categories in one half. Their first successful tackle did not come until the 69th minute.
It was Coventry’s first match in the English top flight for 25 years. Frank Lampard named five summer signings in his starting XI, but the trip to the defending champions showed just how big the step up from the Championship can be.
Coventry’s season will not be judged on an away game against the title holders, however. A far more telling test comes next weekend, when they host fellow promoted side Hull City.
For Arsenal, meanwhile, the strong start to the campaign continues. The 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City has now been followed by another convincing victory. It was also Arteta’s 150th Premier League win as a manager.
Newcastle-Liverpool headlines the rest of the opening weekend
The first Premier League matchday continues over the weekend. Manchester United travel to newly promoted Hull City on Saturday, while Brentford host Spurs. On Sunday, Manchester City face AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion take on Aston Villa. The standout fixture is Newcastle United against Liverpool FC, with Alexander Isak returning to St James’ Park in Liverpool colours for the first time since his move. The opening round concludes on Monday with the London derby between Fulham and Chelsea.
