Overview
Arsenal had an impressive warm-up when they defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, thereby winning the first title of the season. Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard scored in turn, while newcomer Christos Tzolis made his mark with 2 assists.
However, the match against Coventry is the time for Arsenal to start their journey to defend the Premier League title. Last season, the "Gunners" won the top spot with 85 points and created a 7-point gap with Man City.
Arsenal have significantly strengthened their forces in the summer with Bruno Guimaraes, Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier. Guimaraes particularly impressed in the victory over Man City, but the Brazilian midfielder is currently uncertain to recover in time to play in the opening match due to a leg problem.
Mikel Arteta's team is still continuing to improve the squad. Ezri Konsa is said to have moved closer to Arsenal, while the future of some players is still uncertain before the transfer market closes. Arteta also confirmed that Myles Lewis-Skelly will continue to stay at Emirates.
The early season schedule also poses a big challenge for Arsenal. After Coventry, they will meet Aston Villa and Chelsea in turn. These will be early matches to test the ability to maintain the form of the defending champion in a season where the goal is not just to defend the title.
On the other side, Coventry returned to the Premier League after 25 years of waiting. They won the Championship last season with 95 points, 11 points more than Ipswich Town and closed an impressive journey after having to play in League Two in the 2017-2018 season.
Frank Lampard was assigned the task of leading Coventry in their return to the highest league in England. This team is also active in the transfer market when adding 8 new players, thereby building a force strong enough to compete in the relegation battle.
The difference in experience and squad quality still clearly leans towards Arsenal. Historically, the two teams have met 76 times in all competitions, with Arsenal winning 43 matches, Coventry winning 14 matches and the two sides drawing 19 times.
However, Coventry can take advantage of the comfortable mentality of a newly promoted team to cause difficulties for Arsenal. For the home team, the victory over Man City has created favorable momentum, but Arteta needs to ensure his players maintain focus when the Premier League officially kicks off.
Personnel situation
Arteta is considering the possibility of using Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, two players who both only came on as substitutes in the English Super Cup match against Man City.
Saka is likely to return to the starting lineup, while Rice may continue to rest to reach his best physical condition and only come on in the second half.
On the Coventry side, Haji Wright and Luke Woolfenden could not play due to injury. Jack Rudoni and Frank Onyeka will undergo final fitness tests before the match.
Some rookies may be given the opportunity to debut in this match. Carl Rushworth, Yirenkyi, Loum Tchaouna, Aurele Amenda and Onyeka, if they recover, are all capable of starting.
Expected lineup:
Arsenal: Raya, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis, Havertz.
Coventry City: Rushworth, Van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Markelo, Onyeka, Grimes, Yirenkyi, Tchaouna, Simms, Thomas-Asante.
The match between Arsenal and Coventry takes place at 2:00 a.m. on August 22 (Vietnam time).
