Has Winning the Title Lifted the Pressure?

The long-held hope at Arsenal has been that winning the Premier League title might have a transformational impact on the team. The hypothesis is that the end of a 22-year wait — the alleviation of all that angst — might unlock another dimension in Arsenal's football.

After this self-assured, dominant performance, there might be a few more subscribers to that belief. The Community Shield and Premier League opener have seen Arsenal rattle in six unanswered goals. In their final 10 games of last season, Arsenal only won once by three goals, with six of those matches seeing Mikel Arteta's team win by a single goal. There was a palpable tension in the team, and among the supporters — and it made for some incredibly nervy finishes.

The numbers are impressive, but it's the football Arsenal have played that adds the most compelling evidence to the argument. Against Coventry — admittedly, a newcomer to this level — they looked a more fluid, more flexible team. It might just be a consequence of having that title under the belt. Alternatively, it might be simply down to player availability: against Coventry, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, and Bukayo Saka started just their second game together since December 2024.

Havertz Reclaims the No. 9 Shirt

Kai Havertz seems to have firmly re-established himself as Mikel Arteta's preferred No. 9. Arsenal were without the German for much of last season, and in his absence, last summer's star signing Viktor Gyokeres led the line, scoring 21 times as Arsenal became Premier League champions.

Even when Havertz returned, his minutes were carefully managed. When it came to the Champions League final, however, Arteta made his preference clear, with Havertz getting the nod. Havertz subsequently started the Community Shield and the Coventry game — and scored on every occasion. He has now scored in his last four consecutive starts at club level for the first time since his arrival in English football, a run stretching back to last season's matches against Burnley and Paris Saint-Germain.

It was a little surprising that Gyokeres didn't get off the bench against his former club. With Arsenal in dominant form, he would have relished the chance to get off the mark for 2026-27. Arsenal will be delighted to have two potent centre-forwards of different profiles at their disposal. For now at least, however, Havertz is the man in possession of that No. 9 shirt.

Tzolis Looks a Shrewd Trossard Replacement

It's early — about as early in a Premier League season as it's possible to be — but Christos Tzolis already looks like a very shrewd addition. Arsenal paid just €40 million to sign the 24-year-old from Club Brugge, a modest fee by Premier League standards in a market that has seen prices skyrocket.

His productivity last season was remarkable: 52 appearances for Brugge yielded 22 goals and 29 assists. A number of Premier League clubs had followed his development, but it was Arsenal who moved most decisively, selecting the Greek international to replace the outgoing Leandro Trossard.

On the early evidence, Tzolis looks an ideal replacement. He shares Trossard's low centre of gravity, efficiency, and composure. He's got the work rate Arteta demands, too: his pressing helped create the first goal for Havertz, and his low left-footed cross then led to Saka's strike. Brighton signed Trossard as a 24-year-old from Genk, and three and a half years later effectively doubled their money when the player joined Arsenal. With Tzolis, it feels as if Arsenal have simply cut out the middleman.

A Reality Check for Coventry

It was almost easy to forget by the end of this emphatic Arsenal victory that Coventry had started the contest with verve, energy, and intent. Their travelling fans — who were in fantastic voice throughout the match — had taken their seats early, abuzz with anticipation about their team's return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.

However, after that bright start came the brutal reality check. For Arsenal's first goal, right-back Milan van Ewijk was caught on the ball and seconds later, Coventry were trailing. It was clinical, and this was life back at English football's top table.

Coventry were playing their first Premier League game in 25 years and 94 days — the longest gap between matches by any club in the competition's history. In truth, it was damage limitation for Frank Lampard's side after Odegaard made it three, with their only shot on target coming late when Jack Rudoni headed straight at David Raya. They registered just 0.28 expected goals (xG), compared to Arsenal's 1.8.

Speaking to Sky Sports before the match, Lampard rightly said Coventry's season was not going to be defined by a daunting trip to the English champions. Their trip to the Emirates Stadium was a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of the Premier League. Next up for Coventry in the league is a home game against fellow promoted side Hull City — the type of fixture they must win if they want to keep mixing it with the best in England.