Arsenal opened the defence of their Premier League title with a routine 3-0 win over Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium, goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard settling the contest inside the opening hour.
Havertz broke the deadlock in the 14th minute, converting after Christos Tzolis and Riccardo Calafiori combined down the left to dispossess Milan van Ewijk, Calafiori's pass finished first time. Saka doubled the lead in the 22nd: Declan Rice's drive released Tzolis, whose low ball was only parried by goalkeeper Carl Rushworth into Saka's path. Ødegaard made it three four minutes into the second half, a miscued finish squirming over the line after a Ben White pass found him.
Havertz has now scored in four consecutive competitive appearances (Burnley and Paris Saint-Germain last season, Manchester City in last week's Community Shield win, and now Coventry), the first time he has managed that in his career in England, after managing only those two league goals either side of a five-month knee injury. Tzolis, handed his Arsenal debut with Bruno Guimarães missing through a knock from that Community Shield win, impressed throughout, while Myles Lewis-Skelly retained his place alongside Rice in midfield. Arsenal also confirmed the signing of Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa on the day, the £51m defender introduced to supporters before kick-off.
With the scoreline settled, Mikel Arteta withdrew Ødegaard and Rice for Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi with 15 minutes to play, taking his Premier League record in charge to 150 wins from 249 games, a tally only Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson have reached in fewer. Zubimendi started on the bench, with Lewis-Skelly again preferred alongside Rice in midfield, and Arteta said afterwards he has no plans to sell the Spaniard this window. Coventry, back in the top flight under Frank Lampard for the first time in 25 years, offered little in reply: Caleb Yirenkyi was booked for felling Lewis-Skelly before half-time, and the visitors did not manage an effort on goal until the 86th minute. They host Hull next.