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Premier League news: Arsenal begin title defence with dominant victory vs Coventry

Arsenal kicked off their Premier League title defence with a commanding showing in a 3-0 victory at the Emirates against Coventry City on Friday, August 21.

Gunners captain Martin Ødegaard put in a noteworthy shift for his Player of the Match award, illustrating distinct leadership and tidy passing to get his team ticking.

The Norwegian scored in the second half to seal the encounter, while Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the Gunners in good stead with goals in the first.

A star left winger

New signing Christos Tzolis made a notable impact on the left side for Arsenal, providing two assists on his Premier League debut, and was a threat all evening.

“What a left-winger Arsenal have got,” Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said on commentary.

Good performances all over the park

“There was a lot to like. We were really dominant and flowed with the ball, connecting well with one another. We should have scored more goals,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports.

“Overall the performance was positive with some big individual performances.

“When you talk about connection and chemistry, those three [Saka, Ødegaard and Ben White] have that.

“They played so many minutes together in the past, but they didn’t play much last year due to different situations.

“Even on the left side with Tzolis, you are seeing different dynamics. I was really impressed.”

Just the beginning for Arsenal

“The first game is always a bit nervy,” Ødegaard added after the game.

“They played well, gave us a good fight and a good battle. It was key to get the first goal and control the game. It was solid.

“We looked good – we could have created and scored more. We can be more precise and sharp around the box. It’s a good performance, but we can do even better.

“The quality in the squad is unbelievable. You can put anyone on the pitch and they can perform at the highest level. We push one another to get better.”