The wait is finally over. Arsenal begin the defence of their Premier League title tonight when newly promoted Coventry City visit the Emirates for the opening game of the 2026/27 season.
For the first time in 22 years, the Gunners start a Premier League campaign as reigning champions, and Mikel Arteta will be looking for his side to carry the momentum of last weekend’s impressive 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City into the new season.
Confirmed Arsenal team to face Coventry City
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
Your Premier League opening day XI ✊
🤝 Presented by @deel pic.twitter.com/yRf2BEs3BA
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 21, 2026
There were a couple of fitness questions for Arteta ahead of tonight’s 8pm kick-off. Bruno Guimaraes has continued to be assessed after coming off at half-time against Manchester City, while Jurrien Timber is edging closer to his return from a groin injury.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are available despite having limited minutes during pre-season, but William Saliba remains sidelined with a back problem.
Arsenal looking to start title defence with a win
Coventry certainly shouldn’t be underestimated. Frank Lampard guided the Sky Blues to the Championship title last season, finishing 11 points clear and securing their return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.
They will, however, be without last season’s top scorer Haji Wright, who has been ruled out for a few months with a quad injury.
Arsenal’s opening-day record provides plenty of encouragement. We have won our first Premier League fixture in each of the last four seasons and are unbeaten in 45 home league matches against promoted teams.
Arteta made it clear before the game that despite last season’s success, the hunger remains. The challenge now is to start the title defence in exactly the right way.
What do you make of Arteta’s starting XI tonight? Are you happy with the team he’s selected, and what’s your score prediction against Coventry? Let us know in the comments.
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Bruno Guimaraes is already injured, that injury curse just wont leave us.
Doesn’t seem to be too major, hopefully he’ll be fit again in a few weeks. This is why we keep so many midfielders around 😉
Some notable emissions? It is early season and a longway to go. Lets hope Guimarez is not missing for too long, we were all expecting him to be involved.
No Jesus, No Martinelli. Thats telling us something?
Only to be let go for peanuts or contracts ripped off
Reggie,
According to the BBC Website, Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for Martinelli.
In one way I’m sad that he could be going. But one of the things leveled at him during his time with Arsenal is his end product. And I have to admit that it can be frustrating.
But on the other side of the coin, no one can doubt his work rate, and he seems to save his best performances for the Champions league.
As I say, I’m a bit in-between on this one.
Yep and willing to take 35-40 million for him 😂
Nelli is one of about 5 best defensive wingers in world football. He might have someone in Italy he would prefer to play for and ready to yes if they bid enough.
Arsenal must have someone very good lined up as the second left forward to rotate with Solis. I have a hunch it’s Barcola lined up. Liverpool seem to be taking too long to seal that signing, and now chucking good money at Brighton for their player.
Brighton is apparently also playing hardball with Minteh. LP always seems to find a way to overpay.
There is little pressure on the Coventry players tonight, in that they are not expected to take anything from the reigning Champions away from home.In a relaxed frame of mind they could well prove to be a difficult first hurdle for us, but our guys are now “winners” and one way or another, i expect them to get the job done.
What leaps out for me, Rice at 6 he was brought to the club for, is by far his most natural position. I have no problem with it. He switched there in last couple of months of last season and it helped Arsenal immensely – Rice is a brilliant 6. A lot of us have been asking for Skelly to play left 8, as we know he can carry and tackle.
Apart from that, no surprises or questions in this very positive match squad sheet?
7 minutes in, both Rice and Skelly seem joined by invisible string – double pivot – Ode given a free roam number 10?
If true it is rather different.
The Champions play today 😉
Good lineup, new player injury curse hits us again but sounds minor. Was hoping Rice would get some more rest tbh and we could play Zubimendi instead, but as long as he’s fully rested 100%.
I know it wasn’t a near miss as such, but good to see Tzolis having a crack at a goal
Yippee
Baptism of fire for Coventry so far
Sakaaaah
Absolutely loving it loving it loving it.
What is this fast direct football that I’m seeing? ⚽⚽
It’s called Declan Rice
There is something so nice and fluid about our movement and one twos.
So Rice and fluid.
Lovely to see us playing free football. Tzolis looks a stone cold bargain.
Tzolis was a steal at 34m, has already elevated our left wing by a level or 2
We need now at least one set piece goal
And clean sheet
His decision-making ability has been very good, but we still need another inverted LW who’s better in 1-vs-1 situations to play against ultra-defensive teams
If Arsenal sell Martinelli, I think they will have to pay more than £100m to replace him because of the highly inflated pricing of wingers
One set piece goal please
Solis is winning me over.
Although he has won the rest of you over already in meaningless friendlies, his last attempt in English football was so underwhelming – and Belgium such a Farmers League or Saison Dupont would never have been invented – I’m harder to win over. For those at the game you have missed Wrighty saying Solis is like one those Brighton, Bournemouth signings everyone pays a million for a season later.
He’s learning that Coventry’s tier 2 cloggers will certainly leave you with bruises. You will be targeted and get plenty of those in the world’s “classiest” league. But he seems to be playing 12d chess in his mind, knowing the pass and its weight long before the ball is even passed to him.
Yes early days, but promising. He’s strong, quick, decisive, has vision and technical skills.
Really impressed with tsolis – looks to be just what we need, has elements of trossard and martinelli and looks extremely switched on.
Despite all the praise, I still don’t see it with Odegaard – he’s on good form, but still the breakaway chance where tsolis ended up offside epitomises him. Odegaard held onto it for too long, which led to the offside, and his final pass was slightly off – same old, same old, I’m afraid.
Oddegaard looking good. Can’t expect perfection in game 1.
He did look OK but some players looked really poor. Other teams would have stuffed this bunch of crap 4maybe 5 but awful second half
First game of the season after all. I thought he was lively and post match admitted that the last season was stunted because of injuries and also circumstances.
Sky Sports man of the match 😈
Shouldn’t have been close. Even though a handful played really well, Tzolis was easily man of the match for me.
I didn’t say he was poor (not man of the match for me – rice or maybe tzolis – but it’s subjective) – just saying the things that have held him back over the past few years are still there. He lacks the killer instinct imo
Tzolis looks like he knows what he’s going to do before the ball even gets to him. Madueke on the other hand always looks like he has no idea what his end game is. Really impressed with Tzolis. Involved in the first two goals and clearly has a real football brain. Still on the fence with Odegard. I know he has the ability and I’m just hoping a positive start to the season will get him back playing like he did two years ago.
What do we make of Gyokores not getting ANY minutes, STRANGE?
@Reggie I thought the same as you, I was expecting Gyokeres to at least get a 15 minute run out, maybe the Barcelona rumours could be legit and he could be on his way, they’re getting desperate to sign a front man after Atleti told them Alvarez isn’t for sale.
TAXI FOR VIKTOR!
TAXI!
Perfect start to the season, Havertz setting us up for an easy night’s work with a sweet left foot finish after another left foot ball in from Calafiori, as a left footer myself I was full of admiration 😎
Good win but oh poor old Coventry are not going to stay in the prem.
Men v boys
It was Sue.
Good win tonight. Glad to see Odegaard back in form, looks like our open play brings out the best of him.
Tzolis looks a gem. Up and down the wing, help out the defence.
Good performance, on to Villa Park a week on Monday.
Can’t wait to play the hollowed out mess that is Villa. We are going to put 9 past them.
Tsolis had a very good game but some of the through passes by Rice and especially Ødegaard were sublime, how some people are still criticising him is beyond me. Skelly also played really well, his ball recoveries were excellent. Very good all round performance by the team with fast direct play on the first half but dropped off after the third goal.
Indeed it was and with an embarrassment of riches in the wings