Gunners Unbeaten Against Promoted Sides in 33

Arsenal's last Premier League defeat to a promoted side came more than five years ago, and that record never looked in danger at the Emirates. Reigning champions are now unbeaten in their last 33 combined Premier League matches against promoted teams (W26 D7), since Fulham beat Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool 1-0 in March 2021.

The victory was also Arsenal's joint-biggest when playing their first game of a Premier League season at home, having also beaten Manchester City 3-0 at the start of the 1994-95 campaign.

With 23 minutes on the clock, it was the earliest Arsenal had gone 2-0 up in a home Premier League game since December 2023 versus Wolves (13 minutes). They also scored three goals on matchday one of a season for the first time since September 2020 (3-0 versus Fulham).

Odegaard: "Last Season Was a Big Struggle"

While Arsenal's collective display was impressive, the most significant individual storyline was the return to form of captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian, who impressed at the World Cup as Norway reached the quarter-finals, already has more goals in all competitions in 2026-27 (two) than he managed in the entirety of 2025-26 (one).

He was restricted to 36 appearances in all competitions last season — only 23 of which were starts — and his 1,983 minutes played were only the 16th-most in the Gunners' squad. Despite Arsenal winning the Premier League title and finishing as Champions League runners-up, Odegaard admits it was difficult to fully enjoy the campaign.

"Last season was a big struggle for me. I had too many injuries and weird situations and bad luck. I could never find a rhythm," Odegaard told Sky Sports. "It's hard when you are in and out and not 100% fit. It was hard, but I feel good now. My body is good after a good World Cup and pre-season. I'm feeling 100%."

"The first game is always a bit nervy," he added. "They played well, they gave us a good fight and a good battle. It was key to get the first goal and we controlled the game. It was solid. We looked good. We could have created and scored more. We can be more precise and sharper around the box. It's a good performance, but we can do even better. The quality in the squad is unbelievable. You can put anyone on the pitch and they can perform at the highest level. We push one another to get better."

Arteta's 150th Premier League Win

The victory marked a personal milestone for Mikel Arteta, who celebrated his 150th Premier League win as Arsenal manager. The Spaniard had a couple of big decisions to make regarding his first lineup of the season, and both calls paid off handsomely.

One was necessitated by new signing Bruno Guimaraes suffering a groin injury, with 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly deputising capably in midfield, completing a game-high 76 passes. The other was in attack, where Arteta resisted any temptation to restore Viktor Gyokeres to the lineup and stuck with Havertz.

Arsenal's second Premier League game of the season is away to Aston Villa on August 31, having announced the signing of centre-back Ezri Konsa from the Villans earlier on Friday. Coventry, meanwhile, face an important matchup with fellow promoted side Hull City next.