Arsenal wasted no time reminding the Premier League who is champion. Mikel Arteta's side opened the defence of their title with a comprehensive 3-0 win over newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night, and the contest was effectively over before half-time.
Kai Havertz broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, converting after Riccardo Calafiori won the ball back high up the pitch and set up the chance. Bukayo Saka doubled the lead eight minutes later, pouncing after Coventry goalkeeper diverted a low cross into his path.
Martin Ødegaard put the result beyond doubt just four minutes into the second half, sweeping home Arsenal's third with the game barely restarted. It was a ruthless opening statement from a side determined to show last season's title was no one-off.
Frank Lampard's Coventry, playing their first top-flight match in decades after promotion, never got a foothold. According to Opta data cited by Sky Sports, the visitors failed to register a single touch in the Arsenal penalty area or make a tackle in the entire first half — the first team to suffer that indignity in a Premier League match since records of the kind began in 2007.
Arteta made changes in the closing stages, withdrawing Saka and Declan Rice around the 68th minute with the game long since settled, a sign of a manager already managing his squad's legs with a long campaign ahead.
It was as routine a start to a title defence as any manager could hope for — control from the first whistle, three different goalscorers, and a clean sheet to boot. For Coventry, the size of the gap between the Championship and the Premier League was laid bare on their return to the top flight.
