Arsenal vs Coventry City live updates: Gunners barely break sweat in 3-0 cruise

Mishit? Sure — but Arsenal are flying and the man who missed more than a dozen games last season is on the scoresheet.

Tzolis is busy again, with Bukayo Saka taking his chance to make it 2-0.

Tzolis to Calafiori to Havertz, as Arsenal make 1-0 look easy.

Coventry just had few answers in any part of the pitch, and they’ll love that they’ve crossed “Arsenal away” off their fixture list.

That was a very, very good debut for Tzolis, and the Emirates Stadium gives him a warm ovation as he leaves the game for Eberechi Eze.

Mikel Merino also enters the game for Odegaard, and this could’ve hardly gone better for Arteta: Everybody plays and no one’s truly taxed over 90 minutes.

Tzolis has a shot well saved by Rushworth, while Calafiori and Havertz have almost got in and Lewis-Skelly curled an effort wide after a slick move.

It has been all Arsenal in this second half. Coventry are in damage limitation mode.

Arsenal have been electric and the fourth goal is coming.

Just over 15 minutes to go here and it is pretty much game over.

Saka and Rice are done, replaced by Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi.

Coventry bring their sub total to three as Jack Rudon and Taiwo Awoniyi enter for Brandon Thomas-Asante and Ellis Simms. Victor Torp had already come in for Caleb Yirenkyi.

Still 3-0 Arsenal, now into the final 20 minutes.

There’s a gulf in class between these sides, as expected.

Odegaard works the ball to Saka, and Ben White overlaps to cut the ball back toward the Norwegian.

He doesn’t get much on his shot at all and Rushworth is pawing the air, getting just a bit of the ball on its way over the line.

Shot attempts are 10-2 in favor of the Gunners but it feels like 20-0.

Arsenal have 23 touches in the Cov box, while the Sky Blues are yet to touch the ball in the Gunners’ area.

Tzolis, Calafiori, Saka, and White have been fantastic on each flank as the Gunners have goals from Saka and Kai Havertz at the break.

This is the performance of a reigning champion.

Talk about setting the tone for how you mean to go on. Wow.

Arsenal have looked so dangerous and balanced in attack with Tzolis and Saka so dangerous out wide, Havertz drifting around and causing chaos and then you have Rice and Odegaard marauding forward from central midfield.

It’s pretty unstoppable.

If that quartet can stay fit it will be hard to get near Arsenal this season.

And even if Mikel Arteta decides to mix it up you have the likes of Madueke, Dowman, Gyokeres, Eze and Merino on the bench.

“We are top of the league!” sing the Arsenal fans sarcastically. They’re correct and right now it would be a brave person to bet against them finishing there at the end of this season.

Two well-worked goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka have them cruising here and there is an impressive confidence and hunger about Arsenal.

Coventry City just couldn’t get out of their own half for the last 20 minutes and Arsenal’s pressure eventually paid off.

Two goals in eight minutes has them 2-0 up and it promises to be a really long night for Coventry. Arsenal are purring and they have incredible quality all over the pitch.

That’s why they’re the reigning champs and the champions elect.

Declan Rice drives centrally and pushes the ball out to the left.

Tzolis is on it again and sends a nice ball atop the six and Coventry keeper Carl Rushworth can only palm the ball onto the path of Bukayo Saka.

The Englishman makes it 2-0.

Well, that was coming.

Tzolis makes life difficult for Coventry’s right flank, winning a tackle and poking the ball to Riccardo Calafiori.

The Italian turns smoothly and slots a pass into the 18 where Kai Havertz is there to snap a low shot into the goal.

Arsenal’s new Greek winger is taking this game by storm through 10 minutes.

The 24-year-old has accounted for two created chances, 0.17xG, 0.04 xA, and two shots (one on target).

It’s all Arsenal now and first Bukayo Saka goes close.

The ball bounces up and his shot looks certain to go in, but Amenda makes a superb block to deny a certain goal.

From the resulting corner it is played short and worked really well by Ben White. The ball finds Tzolis and his low effort is going in but Coventry clear inside the six yard box.

Wave after wave of Arsenal attack now. This is how the rest of the game should play out.

Christos Tzolis has been a revelation so far this summer on the left and you can see why Arsenal fans are raving about him early on in this game.

Martin Odegaard finds him out on the left and he cuts inside, waits for his time to create a bit of space, then curls just over the bar.

Tzolis gets a round of applause from the Arsenal fans and his manager Arteta.

He’s already becoming a real fan favorite here.

Arsenal’s fans are making so much noise early on here.

Coventry had an early corner cleared away but since then it has been all Arsenal.

A chant of “Campeones, Campeones, ole, ole, ole!” is thunderous.

“Champions of England, we know what we are!” Arsenal fans sing now.

This is one big party. There’s also a game going on out there. But Arsenal’s fans are letting everyone know they are the reigning champs.

And after two decades of waiting, why wouldn’t you enjoy this if you a Gooner?

Arsenal have paraded new signing Ezri Konsa on the pitch before the game.

Huge roar from the home fans as Konsa, wearing the number 15 applauds his new fans.

Konsa, 28, joins on a four-year contract with the option of an extra year. The total transfer package could rise to $75 million.

Amazing fee for a player who will play plenty of minutes but will likely be a squad player. It just proves how strong this Arsenal squad is.

Arsenal won the Premier League title pretty easily in the end last season, despite Manchester City’s last surge.

And now the expectation levels have changed for Mikel Arteta’s side. You can feel it in the air here in north London. The tension has gone but the pressure has perhaps cranked up even further.

One title isn’t enough for Arteta, Arsenal’s fans and their owners. They’ve had a taste and now they want more.

After finally winning the title again after a 22-year wait, and coming so close to winning the Champions League, Arsenal’s fans, pundits and pretty much everyone else expects them to ease to back-to-back Premier League titles.

Confidence levels are high, they’ve added real quality in Tzolis, Guimaraes and Konsa and their deep squad doesn’t appear to have a weakness.

Can the Gunners go back-to-back?

It’s a lovely summer evening here in north London and a perfect time to kick off the new Premier League season.

Arsenal’s fans are still in celebration mode after winning the title for the first time in 22 years. There are “Champions” banners everywhere you look outside the stadium and there are huge smiles on the faces of Arsenal fans, players and Mikel Arteta who is speaking to Sky Sports pitch-side before the game.

Coventry City’s fans are delighted to be back after 25 years away from the top-flight. They won the Championship with ease last season and Frank Lampard’s side will entertain and have a right go in the Premier League this season. They have absolutely nothing to lose.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.