Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal open their Premier League title defense at home to newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday in what will be a raucous Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners ended a 22-year wait for a PL crown last season and have added plenty of quality with Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa, and Christos Tzolis arriving to bolster their hopes of consecutive titles.
STREAM LIVE — Arsenal v Coventry City
Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues enter London on the heels of a terrific promotion campaign. They won the Championship to end a quarter-century away from the top flight.
Keep it locked here all day for live updates, video highlights, and more from North London.
Arsenal vs Coventry City live updates, score: 3pm ET kickoff
Starting XI
Rushworth
Dasilva
Amenda
Thomas
van Ewijk
Grimes
Onyeka
Yirenka
Tchaouna
Thomas-Asante
Simms
On the bench: Wilson, Rudoni, Sakamoto, Awoniyi, Kitching, Latibeaudiere, Eccles, Torp, Hamer
Starting XI
Raya
White
Mosquera
Gabriel
Calafiori
Rice
Lewis-Skelly
Odegaard
Saka
Tzolis
Havertz
Bruno Guimaraes misses out through injury and Ezri Konsa isn’t on the bench.
Who makes the subs list? Kepa Arrizabalaga, Max Dowman, Eberechi Eze, Piero Hincapie, Non Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi.
The rich get richer!
Built for the battle.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 21, 2026
Konsa is a Gunner ✍️ pic.twitter.com/osUk47982u
American forward Haji Wright will miss out on this one and at least a few more, according to Frank Lampard.
“Haji Wright won’t be available for the Arsenal game,” Lampard said. “He won’t be available for a little while, he’s got a very serious quad injury which is disappointing for Haji and for us. It’s certainly going to be a number of weeks, could even be up to 12 weeks.”
Will Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, and Martin Odegaard form the midfield?
Odegaard went 84 minutes in the Community Shield while Guimaraes and Rice split halves. Martin Zubimendi entered in the 75th minute for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Kai Havertz drew a start up top to keep Viktor Gyokeres on the bench, while Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze came off the bench.
Saka seems likely to start this one even with fitness wariness.
Kick off time: 3pm ET Friday, August 21
Venue: Emirates Stadium — North London
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch online via USA
These two have met plenty since 1967 but just twice since Coventry City were relegated from the Premier League a quarter-century ago.
Arsenal hold a 10W-5D-3L advantage in their 18 Premier League matches, the last one a 1-0 win at Coventry in February 2001.
Tom Bramall is the HR for this one, with Jarred Gillett the VAR.
Bramall enters his fifth year as a referee in the top flight, and did a career-high 22 games last season.
He oversaw Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in October, the only time he’s been at the center of a Gunners match in his PL career.
Mikel Arteta is the longest-tenured manager in the Premier League now that Pep Guardiola has left Manchester City.
Lampard is technically the sixth-longest tenured in the division, having been hired by Coventry in November 2024.
Arteta has won four-straight matches against Lampard sides between Everton and Chelsea. Lampard has a 1W-1D-4L managerial record against Arteta.
