Christos Tzolis of Arsenal (C) in action during the English Premier League match Arsenal FC against Coventry City FC, in London, Britain, on 21 August 2026. [Neil Hall/EPA]
Newcomer Christos Tzolis helped set up two goals as defending champion Arsenal opened the Premier League season by dismantling promoted Coventry 3-0 to spoil the visitor’s long-awaited return to the top flight Friday.
After ending a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, Arsenal showed why it’s favored to repeat as champion by completely dominating Frank Lampard’s side in a game that was one-sided from start to finish.
Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Odegaard scored for the Gunners, who spurned chances to pad the scoreline even further. “The perfect start,” Odegaard said.
For Coventry, it was a rude welcome back to the Premier League after a 25-year absence. Having won the second-tier Championship last season by a wide margin, Lampard’s side simply looked outmatched as it was repeatedly taken apart by a marauding Arsenal.
