Arsenal v Coventry City, 21 August 2026

Score3-0 to Arsenal
RefereeTom Bramall
CompetitionPremier League
VenueEmirates Stadium
Attendance60,098

View Arsenal v Coventry City head to head

Kick-off: 8.00pm . Premier League Head to Head Played: 19 Arsenal won: 11 Drawn: 5 Coventry City won: 3 Arsenal scored: 28 Coventry City scored: 13 . This was the second time that Arsenal and Coventry City had met in their opening game of a league season: previously the Sky Blues won 3-0 at Highbury in the Premier League in 1993-94 with a hat-trick by Micky Quinn.

3 Arsenal

Manager: Mikel Arteta

0 Coventry City

Manager: Frank Lampard

Goals:

Kai Havertz 15 G
Bukayo Saka 23 G
Martin Odegaard 49 G

Goals:

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper David Raya
Defender Riccardo Calafiori
Defender Gabriel
Defender Cristhian Mosquera
Defender Ben White
Defender/Midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly
Defender/Midfielder Declan Rice
Defender/Midfielder/Forward Bukayo Saka
Midfielder Martin Odegaard
Midfielder/Forward Kai Havertz
Midfielder/Forward Christos Tzolis

Starting lineup:

Carl Rushworth Goalkeeper
Aurèle Amenda Defender
Bobby Thomas Defender
Jay Dasilva Defender/Midfielder
Milan van Ewijk Defender/Midfielder
Matt Grimes Midfielder
Frank Onyeka Midfielder
Caleb Yirenkyi Midfielder
Loum Tchaouna Midfielder/Forward
Ellis Simms Forward
Brandon Thomas-Asante Forward

Substitutions:

Noni Madueke for Bukayo Saka 68
Martín Zubimendi for Declan Rice 68
Eberechi Eze for Christos Tzolis 76
Mikel Merino for Martin Odegaard 76
Piero Hincapié for Riccardo Calafiori 81

Substitutions:

Victor Torp for Caleb Yirenkyi 62
Taiwo Awoniyi for Brandon Thomas-Asante 70
Jack Rudoni for Ellis Simms 70
Gustavo Hamer for Loum Tchaouna 82

Cards:

Gabriel 34 Y

Cards:

Caleb Yirenkyi 27 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga
Defender Piero Hincapié
Midfielder Martín Zubimendi
Midfielder/Forward Max Dowman
Midfielder/Forward Eberechi Eze
Midfielder/Forward Noni Madueke
Midfielder/Forward Mikel Merino
Midfielder/Forward Ethan Nwaneri
Forward Viktor Gyökeres

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Ben Wilson
Defender Liam Kitching
Defender/Midfielder Joel Latibeaudiere
Midfielder Josh Eccles
Midfielder Gustavo Hamer
Midfielder Jack Rudoni
Midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto
Midfielder/Forward Victor Torp
Forward Taiwo Awoniyi

Comments:

Arsenal had now won their opening league game in five consecutive seasons for the second time: previously from 2001-02 to 2005-06 in the Premier League. . The reigning champions had now won their opening game of a Premier League season in eight of the last nine seasons (lost one) . The Gunners had now won six consecutive games in the Premier League for the first time since August 2024 (eight).

Comments:

This was Coventry City’s first game in the Premier League since a goalless draw with Bradford City at Highfield Road on 19 May 2001. The gap of 25 years and 94 days became the longest by any team in the division’s history. . The Sky Blues had now failed to win their opening league game in a fifth consecutive season (lost three). . City had now lost their last eight away games in the Premier League against the reigning champions.

3 Arsenal

Manager: Mikel Arteta

Goals:

Kai Havertz 15 G
Bukayo Saka 23 G
Martin Odegaard 49 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper David Raya
Defender Riccardo Calafiori
Defender Gabriel
Defender Cristhian Mosquera
Defender Ben White
Defender/Midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly
Defender/Midfielder Declan Rice
Defender/Midfielder/Forward Bukayo Saka
Midfielder Martin Odegaard
Midfielder/Forward Kai Havertz
Midfielder/Forward Christos Tzolis

Substitutions:

Noni Madueke for Bukayo Saka 68
Martín Zubimendi for Declan Rice 68
Eberechi Eze for Christos Tzolis 76
Mikel Merino for Martin Odegaard 76
Piero Hincapié for Riccardo Calafiori 81

Cards:

Gabriel 34 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga
Defender Piero Hincapié
Midfielder Martín Zubimendi
Midfielder/Forward Max Dowman
Midfielder/Forward Eberechi Eze
Midfielder/Forward Noni Madueke
Midfielder/Forward Mikel Merino
Midfielder/Forward Ethan Nwaneri
Forward Viktor Gyökeres

Comments:

Arsenal had now won their opening league game in five consecutive seasons for the second time: previously from 2001-02 to 2005-06 in the Premier League. . The reigning champions had now won their opening game of a Premier League season in eight of the last nine seasons (lost one) . The Gunners had now won six consecutive games in the Premier League for the first time since August 2024 (eight).

0 Coventry City

Manager: Frank Lampard

Goals:

Starting lineup:

Carl Rushworth Goalkeeper
Aurèle Amenda Defender
Bobby Thomas Defender
Jay Dasilva Defender/Midfielder
Milan van Ewijk Defender/Midfielder
Matt Grimes Midfielder
Frank Onyeka Midfielder
Caleb Yirenkyi Midfielder
Loum Tchaouna Midfielder/Forward
Ellis Simms Forward
Brandon Thomas-Asante Forward

Substitutions:

Victor Torp for Caleb Yirenkyi 62
Taiwo Awoniyi for Brandon Thomas-Asante 70
Jack Rudoni for Ellis Simms 70
Gustavo Hamer for Loum Tchaouna 82

Cards:

Caleb Yirenkyi 27 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Ben Wilson
Defender Liam Kitching
Defender/Midfielder Joel Latibeaudiere
Midfielder Josh Eccles
Midfielder Gustavo Hamer
Midfielder Jack Rudoni
Midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto
Midfielder/Forward Victor Torp
Forward Taiwo Awoniyi

Comments:

This was Coventry City’s first game in the Premier League since a goalless draw with Bradford City at Highfield Road on 19 May 2001. The gap of 25 years and 94 days became the longest by any team in the division’s history. . The Sky Blues had now failed to win their opening league game in a fifth consecutive season (lost three). . City had now lost their last eight away games in the Premier League against the reigning champions.