Premier League returns as Arsenal begin title defence against promoted Coventry
Sky Blues playing first top-flight match in 25 years
New Arsenal signing Konsa introduced to crowd before kick-off
Will Gunners retain title? Have your say at top of page
How to follow the opening weekend across the BBC | What are the new rules this season? |
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Jamie Carragher
Former Liverpool defender on Sky Sports
He did really well there Jay Dasilva. Arsenal are working quickly, the first real one on one, Dasilva did well to stop Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Loum Tchaouna wins a cheap free-kick in the Arsenal half.
Frank Lampard will love that from his forward.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Bukayo Saka's corner is well gathered by Carl Rushworth.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Bukayo Saka tries the stepover to go on the outside of Jay Dasilva but the left-back does well to block the cross for a corner.
Use 'Get involved' to have your say
I would love a shock Coventry win today. I don't think it will happen but it would be amazing.
Henry, London
Like to see Coventry get a point here and don't let the occasion phase them.
Sarah, Liverpool
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
The lad Christos Tzolis is seeing plenty of it.
He plays it inside for Declan Rice to take a touch out of his feet and hammer it over the top.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Jamie Carragher
Former Liverpool defender on Sky Sports
A brilliant move from Christos Tzolis. Declan Rice down the right with that touch. Bukayo Saka was sensational, he brings it down off his chest, the control and then the hit.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Arsenal go short with their first corner and it's one off the training ground.
Ben White ends up squaring it for Christos Tzolis to run on to and Bobby Thomas clears off the line.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Declan Rice plays a lovely ball down the right for Christos Tzolis. He manages to hook it into the box for Bukayo Saka and it's blocked behind for a corner.
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal 0-0 Coventry
Caleb Yirenkyi plays it right to Bukayo Saka deep in the Coventry but the away side survive.
He won't want to be doing that too often.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Bukayo Saka does well to chest the Coventry ball down and play it forward to his captain Martin Odegaard.
Christos Tzolis picks the ball up wide left, comes inside and hooks an effort just over.
Image source, Getty ImagesArsenal 0-0 Coventry
Coventry are in a kind of 4-4-2 off the ball as they look to keep solid and not give anything away in these early moments of their first Premier League game in 25 years.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
The first chant of "Championes, Championes, Ole Ole Ole" is brought out early days.
Think we'll hear that a lot this season.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Alex Howell
BBC Sport Arsenal reporter at Emirates Stadium
A switch flicked inside the Emirates Stadium last season and the atmosphere went up a notch as the Gunners won the Premier League.
We're only a couple of minutes into this game but there's a great noise inside the ground.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
It comes flying into the mixer but Arsenal clear it at the near post and take hold of the ball for the first time.
Top atmosphere in the ground as you'd expect.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
Coventry ping it forward from kick-off and win a very early corner.
Arsenal 0-0 Coventry
The 35th Premier League season is under way.
Buckle up!
Arsenal v Coventry (20:00 BST)
The first rendition of North London Forever is currently being belted out around the Emirates.
Goosebumps stuff.
Arsenal v Coventry (20:00 BST)
Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker to BBC Sport
Arsenal are the team to beat, and their squad just looks so strong.
I never read too much into the Community Shield but to beat Manchester City as comprehensively as they did was hugely impressive, and shows where they are at.
Bruno Guimaraes is a good signing and while Christos Tzolis could not cut it at Norwich - the jersey was too big for him - he looks the part too.
If Coventry can somehow go to the Emirates and get a draw against the champions, that would provide such a huge boost to their players.
But I can't see past an Arsenal win and the scoreline just depends how much Mikel Arteta's side put their foot down.
Sutton's prediction: 3-0
Arsenal v Coventry (20:00 BST)
Here's a reminder of how Arsenal and Coventry City are lining up for the Premier League opener.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 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 |
|
Manager:Mikel Arteta
Formation:4 - 3 - 3
Manager:Frank Lampard
Formation:4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager:Mikel Arteta
Formation:4 - 3 - 3
Manager:Frank Lampard
Formation:4 - 1 - 4 - 1
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 |
Premier League
All competitions
All competitions
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).
