Postpublished at 58 mins
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Matt Grimes' outswinging corner is aimed towards Bobby Thomas but an Arsenal head is there first.
Kai Havertz breaks with it and looks to free Christos Tzolis but he strays offside.
Summary
Odegaard adds Arsenal's third against Coventry in Premier League season opener
Lampard's promoted Sky Blues playing first top-flight match in 25 years
Play our new Match of the Day Predictor game | How to follow the opening weekend across the BBC | What are the new rules this season?
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Postpublished at 58 mins
Postpublished at 57 mins
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
The ref needs a new watch and now he's struggling to fasten the strap.
Postpublished at 56 mins
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Some half-hearted appeals for handball from the Coventry fans as Loum Tchaouna's cross takes a nick and bounces off the thighs of Declan Rice.
More encouraging signs as the visitors win a corner in front of those travelling fans.
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 21:11 BST
Use 'Get involved' to have your say
This is the Arsenal football i have missed, so fluent and free, this is what we have missed, this could be a brilliant season for Arsenal football club.
Simon, York
Postpublished at 53 mins
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Arsenal will definitely feel there are a few more goals in this for them.
Postpublished at 53 mins
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Coventry lose it deep in their own half and Kai Havertz pops it off for Myles Lewis -Skelly to strike from range but Carl Rushworth tips it over.
'Odegaard is going to have a big season'published at 21:09 BST
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Jamie Carragher
Former Liverpool defender on Sky SportsA really clever pass from Declan Rice, as soon as the Coventry players moves the ball is in to Martin Odegaard, the goalkeeper has got to do better, it's almost a double hit from Odegaard, he is going to have a big season. He was outstanding in the summer at the World Cup.
Postpublished at 51 mins
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Carl Rushworth might've done a bit better with that. There was no pace on the ball but he couldn't claw it out.
GOAL - Arsenal 3-0 Coventrypublished at 21:06 BST
Martin Odegaard (49 mins)
That's game over.
Declan Rice finds Martin Odegaard with a line-breaking pass. He goes right to Bukayo Saka, who feeds Ben White on the overlap.
White hooks it back for Odegaard, who mishits it with his right foot but Carl Rushworth can't keep it out.
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 48 mins
Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
The Coventry fans in the corner are fuming. They want a free-kick on the edge of the box but Thomas Bramall isn't having it.
Postpublished at 47 mins
Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Arsenal try to set Bukayo Saka free but the flag goes up.
Wonder what Frank Lampard has been telling his lads at half-time.
KICK-OFFpublished at 21:03 BST
Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Arsenal get the second half under way.
Both sides unchanged.
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 21:01 BST
Use 'Get involved' to have your say
Arsenal look in control. Barely had to break sweat first half, playing attacking football. Just need to score more goals in games like these.
Sull, Birmingham
Arsenal way to strong and look at arsenals bench as well totally different level.
Adam, Swindon
Arsenal doing short corners, guess, it's another dark art by Arteta.
Ikechukwu, Nigeria
'Arsenal move so quickly'published at 20:59 BST
HT: Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Ian Wright
Former England striker on Sky SportsYou can see the way Arsenal surround it. Once they get it, Declan Rice is gone. Arsenal just moving it quickly, everyone is in the right place. Coventry should have tried to have a shout from a defender.
get involved Get Involvedpublished at 20:57 BST
Use 'Get involved' to have your say
Leandro who? But seriously, all the best to him, but his replacement is a very hungry player.
Dave, Farnborough
'It's the Arsenal we want to see'published at 20:56 BST
HT: Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Arsenal goalscorer Bukayo Saka, speaking to Sky Sports at half-time: "It's a great start from us - it's nice to start back with our fans and we had a great 45 minutes.
"We played really well, we flowed well. It's the Arsenal we want to see this season and I'm looking forward to the second half. We want more, we want to score more goals. That's the attitude we want to come out with."
Postpublished at 20:54 BST
HT: Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Christos Tzolis has created three chances in this game, more than any other player.
Postpublished at 20:52 BST
HT: Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Just the 0.04xG for Coventry in this one so far.
They've not been able to trouble this Arsenal side at all.
HALF-TIMEpublished at 20:48 BST
Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
Champions Arsenal end the first 45 minutes of the season with a 2-0 lead.
Coventry need something special.
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 45+2 mins
Arsenal 2-0 Coventry
The season of the short corner?
Match report to appear here.
How to play
Rate players out of 10 for this game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle. You must be signed in to a BBC account to play.
1Give it up
10Pure perfection
Number: 1 David Raya
Number: 33 R. Calafiori
Number: 6 Gabriel Magalhães
Number: 3 Cristhian Mosquera
Number: 4 B. White
Number: 41 D. Rice
Number: 49 M. Lewis-Skelly
Number: 17 C. Tzolis
Number: 8 M. Ødegaard
Number: 7 B. Saka
Number: 29 K. Havertz
Substitutes
No players have been substituted yet
Number: 19 C. Rushworth
Number: 3 J. Dasilva
Number: 24 A. Amenda
Number: 4 B. Thomas
Number: 27 M. van Ewijk
Number: 6 M. Grimes
Number: 23 B. Thomas-Asante
Number: 16 F. Onyeka
Number: 8 C. Yirenkyi
Number: 18 L. Tchaouna
Number: 9 E. Simms
Substitutes
No players have been substituted yet
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
Related topics
Premier League Scores & Fixtures
Premier League Table
On Friday 21st August
Skip to table keyMatch Participants:
- Arsenal, Position 1, Points 3
- Coventry City, Position 20, Points 0
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
|
Key
- Position 1, 2, 3, 4: UEFA Champions League
- Position 5: UEFA Europa League
- Position 18, 19, 20: Relegation
Please note:All times are UK. Some content is provided by third parties, is subject to change, and is unverified.
Team Lineups
home team,Arsenal
Manager:Mikel Arteta
Formation:4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Pitch Formation
Starting lineup
Substitutes
home team,Arsenal
away team,Coventry City
Manager:Frank Lampard
Formation:4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Pitch Formation
Starting lineup
away team,Coventry City
home team,Arsenal
Manager:Mikel Arteta
Formation:4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Pitch Formation
Starting lineup
Substitutes
away team,Coventry City
Manager:Frank Lampard
Formation:4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Pitch Formation
Starting lineup
Substitutes
Match Officials
- Referee:
- Thomas Bramall
- Video Assistant Referee:
- Jarred Gillett
- Assistant Referee 1:
- Gary Beswick
- Assistant Referee 2:
- Matt Wilkes
- Fourth Official:
- Adam Herczeg
- Assistant VAR Official:
- Neil Davies
Match momentum
Arsenal
Coventry City
High chance of scoring
Medium chance of scoring
Low chance of scoring
Dominant period
Match momentum measures the swing of the match by comparing each team’s threat to see who is more likely to score within that minute. The momentum value is the difference between each team’s most dangerous moment, or team threat, in that minute.
Match momentum measures the swing of the match by comparing each team’s threat to see who is more likely to score within that minute. The momentum value is the difference between each team’s most dangerous moment, or team threat, in that minute.
| Minute | Team with most threat |
|---|---|
Kick off 1' | Arsenal |
2' | Arsenal |
3' | Arsenal |
4' | Arsenal |
5' | Arsenal |
6' | Arsenal |
7' | Arsenal |
8' | Arsenal |
9' | Arsenal |
10' | Arsenal |
11' | Arsenal |
12' | Arsenal |
13' | Arsenal |
14' | Arsenal |
15' | ArsenalGoal |
16' | Arsenal |
17' | Arsenal |
18' | Arsenal |
19' | Arsenal |
20' | Arsenal |
21' | Arsenal |
22' | Arsenal |
23' | ArsenalGoal |
24' | Arsenal |
25' | Arsenal |
26' | Arsenal |
27' | Arsenal |
28' | Arsenal |
29' | Arsenal |
30' | Arsenal |
31' | Arsenal |
32' | Arsenal |
33' | Arsenal |
34' | Arsenal |
35' | Arsenal |
36' | Arsenal |
37' | Arsenal |
38' | Arsenal |
39' | Arsenal |
40' | Arsenal |
41' | Arsenal |
42' | Coventry City |
43' | Coventry City |
44' | Coventry City |
45' | Arsenal |
45'+1 | Arsenal |
45'+2 | Arsenal |
Half time 45'+3 | Arsenal |
46' | Arsenal |
47' | Arsenal |
48' | Arsenal |
49' | ArsenalGoal |
50' | Arsenal |
51' | Arsenal |
52' | Arsenal |
53' | Arsenal |
54' | Arsenal |
55' | Coventry City |
56' | Coventry City |
57' | Arsenal |
58' | Coventry City |
59' | Coventry City |
Match Stats
Key, Arsenal v CoventryBasic Stats
Overall possession
Arsenal 63.5%Coventry City 36.5%
xG
Arsenal 1.4575Coventry City 0.0399Shots
Arsenal 12Coventry City 2Shots on target
Arsenal 4Coventry City 0Total touches inside the opposition box
Arsenal 27Coventry City 2Goalkeeper saves
Arsenal 0Coventry City 0Aerial duels won
Arsenal 8Coventry City 10Fouls committed
Arsenal 6Coventry City 8Corners
Arsenal 6Coventry City 2In-depth match stats
Attack
Shots
Arsenal 12Coventry City 2Shots on target
Arsenal 4Coventry City 0Shots off target
Arsenal 4Coventry City 1Attempts out of box
Arsenal 5Coventry City 2Total offsides
Arsenal 5Coventry City 0Expected
xG
Arsenal 1.4575Coventry City 0.0399xG from open play
Arsenal 1.3052Coventry City 0.0399xG from set play
Arsenal 0.1523Coventry City 0xA
Arsenal 0.586034Coventry City 0.0826804Distribution
Total passes
Arsenal 359Coventry City 209Pass accuracy %
Arsenal 91.1Coventry City 78.5Backward passes
Arsenal 49Coventry City 51Forward passes
Arsenal 75Coventry City 75Total long balls
Arsenal 16Coventry City 43Successful final third passes
Arsenal 106Coventry City 53Total crosses
Arsenal 13Coventry City 6Defence
Total tackles
Arsenal 7Coventry City 0Won tackle %
Arsenal 71.4Coventry City 0Fouls committed
Arsenal 6Coventry City 8Total yellow cards
Arsenal 1Coventry City 1Total clearances
Arsenal 14Coventry City 19Clearances off the line
Arsenal 0Coventry City 1Season so far
Premier League
Key, Arsenal v Coventry
League position, Arsenal 1st, Coventry City 20thTotal points, Arsenal 3, Coventry City 0
Form guide
All competitions
Arsenal won
v Manchester City
3
0
Community Shield
Coventry City won
v Monaco
2
0
Club Friendlies
Arsenal draw
v Como
1
1
Club Friendlies
Coventry City won
v Espanyol
3
1
Club Friendlies
Arsenal lose
v Borussia Dortmund
2
3
Emirates Cup
Coventry City draw
v Northampton Town
0
0
Club Friendlies
Arsenal lose
v Real Betis
1
3
Club Friendlies
Coventry City won
v Watford
0
4
Championship
Arsenal won
v Girona
1
4
Club Friendlies
Coventry City won
v Wrexham
3
1
Championship
Previous scores
All competitions
FA Cup
Arsenal 4 , Coventry City 0 on the 24th of January 2014
Arsenal
Coventry City
24th of January 2014
League Cup
Arsenal 6 , Coventry City 1 on the 26th of September 2012
Arsenal
Coventry City
26th of September 2012
Premier League
Coventry City 0 , Arsenal 1 on the 3rd of February 2001
Coventry City
Arsenal
3rd of February 2001
Match Facts
Arsenal and Coventry City have only faced in the opening league game of a season once – in 1993-94, the Sky Blues won 3-0 at Highbury thanks to a hat-trick from Mick Quinn.
This is the first Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Coventry since February 2001, a 1-0 win for the Gunners at Highfield Road. Since Coventry did the double over Arsenal in 1993-94, they’ve won just one of 14 top-flight meetings (D5 L8), a 3-2 win on Boxing Day in 1999.
Arsenal have won their opening match in each of the last four Premier League seasons, since losing 2-0 to Brentford in 2021-22. The Gunners have only won their first match in five in a row once before in their league history, doing so between 2001-02 and 2005-06.
This is Coventry City’s first Premier League campaign since 2000-01, when they started their season with a 3-1 defeat to Middlesbrough. They’ve not started a league season with a win since beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the Championship in 2021-22 (D2 L2 in four seasons since).
This will be Coventry’s first league match at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, though they’ve lost there in the League Cup (1-6 in 2012) and FA Cup (0-4 in 2014). Only two teams (including Arsenal) have won their first ever league match at the ground – West Ham in April 2007 and Hull City in September 2008.
Since the start of 2023-24, Arsenal have won 17 of their 18 Premier League games against promoted sides, with the exception a 2-2 draw at Sunderland last season. At home, the Gunners are unbeaten in 45 Premier League home games against promoted sides, the longest such run by any team in the competition’s history (W40 D5).
This is Coventry City’s first Premier League match in 25 years and 94 days, the longest gap between games by a side in the competition’s history. They’ve lost their last seven away league games against the reigning top-flight champions, most recently going down 4-2 at Manchester United in April 2001.
Arsenal – who won their final five league games en route to winning the title last season – have won each of their three MD1 Premier League games as reigning champions (most recently v Everton in 2004-05), with two of those coming against promoted sides (Nottingham Forest in 1998-99, Birmingham in 2002-03).
Mikel Arteta lost his first ever managerial meeting with Coventry’s Frank Lampard, in what was his first home game as Arsenal boss back in December 2019 (1-2 vs Chelsea). Since then, the Spaniard is unbeaten in all five against Lampard in all competitions, winning the last four in a row (D1).
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has won 149 of his 248 Premier League games in charge. Victory here would see him become just the fifth manager to reach 150 victories in fewer than 250 games in the competition, after Pep Guardiola (204), José Mourinho (231), Jürgen Klopp (237), and Alex Ferguson (247).
Please note:All times are UK. Some content is provided by third parties, is subject to change, and is unverified.
