Fresh off a dominant Community Shield win over Manchester City, Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence on Friday against newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side finally ended their long wait for a Premier League title last season. Now comes the difficult part: doing it all again.
Arsenal could hardly have asked for a better confidence boost before the new season starts. They beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Coventry, meanwhile, arrive in North London with plenty of optimism of their own. They won the Championship last season and returned to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
Frank Lampard has also been backed in the transfer market. Coventry have invested heavily in their squad as they prepare for life back in the top flight.
That makes this a fascinating opener.
Arsenal will expect to win, and frankly, anything less would be a surprise. However, Coventry have nothing to lose. They will be desperate to make sure their return to the Premier League is remembered for more than simply turning up.
What are the best picks for Arsenal vs Coventry City?
Arsenal to win
It is difficult to look past Arsenal here.
The champions are at home. They have already got a competitive game under their belt. They also just put three goals past Manchester City without looking remotely bothered.
That should probably tell you everything you need to know.
Arsenal also have considerably more depth than they had last season. Bruno Guimarães is among the major additions to Arteta’s squad.
Christos Tzolis has also made a very quick impression. He provided two assists in the Community Shield after joining from Club Brugge.
Coventry deserve plenty of credit for winning the Championship. I actually think Lampard has a squad capable of staying in the Premier League.
However, asking them to go to the Emirates on the opening night and take points from the champions is a different proposition.
Arsenal should control the game and create the better chances. Eventually, they should find a way through.
This feels like a straightforward Arsenal win.
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Viktor Gyökeres to score
I am going straight back to Gyökeres against his former club for this one.
The Arsenal striker had a strong first season at the Emirates. He should be even better now that he has had a full campaign to settle into Arteta’s system.
Coventry will have to defend for long periods. That could leave Gyökeres with plenty of opportunities around the box.
Coventry fans will know exactly how dangerous the Swede can be. They watched him score 43 goals in 116 games for the Sky Blues.
Arsenal should create enough chances for him to get on the scoresheet. I would be surprised if Coventry manage to keep him quiet for 90 minutes.
If Arsenal get an early goal, this could become a very long night for the visitors.
Over 2.5 goals
Frank Lampard will know he has to keep this game tight for as long as possible if he is to come away with any points here.
That’s great in theory, but harder in reality.
If Arsenal get an early breakthrough, Coventry might be forced to push on more than they would like. That could leave space for Arsenal’s dangermen to give them a less-than-friendly welcome to the Premier League.
I do think Coventry will keep this competitive for a while. However, the quality Arteta has at his disposal will pay dividends eventually.
Once they get that breakthrough, more will follow.
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Where can I watch Arsenal vs Coventry City?
In the UK, Arsenal vs Coventry City will be shown live on Sky Sports. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 PM BST.
For viewers in the USA, Arsenal vs Coventry City is expected to stream live on Peacock. Kickoff is at 3:00 PM EST.
What have the managers said?
Mikel Arteta:
“We have to maintain that hunger, that desire and that attitude.”
Arteta made it clear after Arsenal’s Community Shield win over Man City that the standards cannot drop now that the club have finally won the Premier League title.
Frank Lampard:
“I’m as hungry as ever. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s one we won’t shy away from.”
Lampard has spoken openly about how much he is looking forward to Coventry’s return to the Premier League after 25 years away.
What is Arsenal’s predicted team?
Starting XI: Raya – White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori – Rice, Odegaard, Guimaraes – Saka, Gyokeres, Tzolis.
Doubts: Rice, Saka.
Injured: Saliba, Timber.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are doubts after returning late due to the World Cup.
William Saliba and Jurrien Timber remain unavailable through injury.
What is Coventry’s predicted team?
Starting XI: Rushworth – Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva – Onyeka, Yirenkyi, Grimes – Tchaouna, Simms, Thomas-Asante.
Doubts: Onyeka.
Injured: None reported.
Lampard’s biggest challenge will be getting the new faces to gel quickly.
Opening night does not get much harder than a trip to the home of the champions.
Score prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
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