Arsenal 3-0 Coventry: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Mikel Arteta celebrates new milestone

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reached a landmark 150th Premier League triumph arsenic a caput manager arsenic the Gunners began their rubric defence with a objective 3-0 beating of Coventry City astatine the Emirates Stadium.

Starting arsenic they mean to spell connected for the entirety of the caller Premier League season, the champions ruthlessly capitalised connected Coventry mistakes successful the opening half-hour to contention into a deserved 2-0 pb courtesy of Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.

As caller signing Ezri Konsa took successful the enactment from the stands, Arsenal turned 2 to 3 soon aft fractional time, arsenic skipper Martin Odegaard followed up his Community Shield onslaught with his archetypal top-flight extremity of the campaign.

Barring 1 anemic Jack Rudoni header, David Raya was a rider connected a stress-free evening for Arsenal and Arteta, who follows Pep Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho arsenic conscionable the 5th manager to scope 150 Premier League wins successful less than 250 games.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

"Champions of England, we cognize what we are."

Based connected the grounds seen astatine the Millennium Stadium and the Emirates Stadium implicit the past 5 days, overjoyed Arsenal fans volition beryllium bellowing retired that iconic chant good into 2028.

A penny for Coventry's thoughts erstwhile the Championship champions witnessed the Gunners dismantle Manchester City successful the Community Shield, and conscionable similar they did successful the Welsh capital, Arteta's merciless men did the harm from unfastened play.

Unfairly lambasted for an over-reliance connected set-plays past term, Arsenal person convincingly dismissed the Corner FC allegations, though the naysayers whitethorn present constituent to 2 of tonight's goals coming from mistakes and different a fortunate scuff.

But Arsenal forced the errors, and Arsenal took afloat vantage of the errors, frankincense passing the archetypal trial of their back-to-back rubric credentials with ease; much thorough examinations are of people to come.

Meanwhile, Coventry's archetypal Premier League lucifer successful conscionable implicit 25 years possibly went astir arsenic expected for supporters of a realistic mindset, but thing tin beryllium work into the visitors' endurance prospects aft 1 decision to the champion squad successful the land. 

ARSENAL VS. COVENTRY HIGHLIGHTS

Kai Havertz extremity vs. Coventry (15th min, Arsenal 1-0 Coventry)

The archetypal extremity of the 2026-27 Premier League play goes to the reigning champions - it had to!

But Coventry bash themselves nary favours arsenic Milan van Ewijk fails to wide nether pressure, and Riccardo Calafiori produces a marvellous crook to unfastened the space for a pass.

The Italian swiftly picks retired Havertz wrong the box, and the German sweeps a objective first-time decorativeness into the bottommost corner.

Cue the Waka Waka.

Bukayo Saka extremity vs. Coventry (23rd min, Arsenal 2-0 Coventry)

Too easy.

Declan Rice and Odegaard nexus up expertly portion some are driving done the centre of the pitch, and the erstwhile rapidly lays disconnected the livewire Christos Tzolis connected the left.

The Greek's debased transverse crossed the six-yard container is partially intercepted by Carl Rushworth, but the Coventry fig 1 tin lone propulsion the shot to the feet of Saka, who has the simplest occupation of tapping location into an bare net.

Martin Odegaard extremity vs. Coventry (49th min, Arsenal 3-0 Coventry)

It's Martin Odegaard... Arsenal person three! ? pic.twitter.com/LrqSSGJWE6

Well... this 1 surely belongs successful the 'they each count' category.

Saka is connected the ball, Ben White makes the overlapping tally - communicative arsenic aged arsenic clip - and the right-back has each the clip successful the satellite to find Odegaard.

The Arsenal skipper goes with his weaker close ft and wholly mishits his close-range strike, but with Rushworth moving successful the different direction, the visiting goalkeeper tin lone fingertip the slow-moving shot implicit the line.

MAN OF THE MATCH - MARTIN ODEGAARD

Back. To. His. Best.

The past 2 home seasons person been mostly forgettable from an idiosyncratic position for Odegaard, but aft a standout World Cup run with Norway, the Arsenal skipper is doing the armband arrogant again.

There was an constituent of luck to his goal, but Odegaard besides created 3 chances and won each 4 of his crushed duels, a further hint that a peculiar play lies up of him.

ARSENAL VS. COVENTRY MATCH STATS

Possession: Arsenal 65%-35% Coventry

Shots: Arsenal 20-4 Coventry

Shots connected target: Arsenal 6-1 Coventry

Corners: Arsenal 8-2 Coventry

Fouls: Arsenal 10-13 Coventry

BEST STATS

The #Arsenal person won some of their archetypal 2 games of a play by 3+ goals for the 2nd time, aft 1930-31

WHAT NEXT?

An highly uncommon 10-day mid-season interruption for Arsenal, who play their archetypal distant crippled of the play astatine Aston Villa connected August 31.

Meanwhile, Coventry conflict Plymouth Argyle successful the EFL Cup 2nd circular connected Tuesday, earlier hosting Hull City adjacent Saturday successful their archetypal Premier League location crippled astatine the CBS Arena.