Arsenal Secures 3-0 Victory Over Coventry in Premier League Opener
Arsenal kicked off their Premier League title defense with a decisive 3-0 win against Coventry.
Here are my player ratings, and you can also see how you scored them at the bottom.
Arsenal starting XI
David Raya: The Arsenal number one was barely tested. 6
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Ben White: His partnership with Bukayo Saka was back to its best, contributing an assist for Arsenal’s third goal. 7
Cristhian Mosquera: A solid display from the centre-back, who saw little action. 7
Gabriel Magalhaes: Faced challenges from Ellis Simms at times and received a booking, but overall, it was a comfortable evening as Arsenal kept a clean sheet. 7
Riccardo Calafiori: The left-back’s unconventional positions significantly supported Arsenal’s attacking play. His precise pass set up Kai Havertz for the opening goal. 8
Myles Lewis-Skelly: Delivered a confident performance in midfield, making speculation about his potential sale during the transfer window appear misplaced. 7
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Declan Rice: Initiated the attack for Arsenal’s second goal with a powerful run. 7
Martin Odegaard: Serving as the heartbeat of the team, the captain had multiple standout moments and scored a fortunate third goal, which his performance warranted. 8
Bukayo Saka: Returned to sharp form after impressing in the Community Shield, troubling Jay Dasilva throughout and netting the second goal. 8
Christos Tzolis: Showed promise with several bright runs and a shot over the bar early on. His hard work led to Arsenal’s opening goal, and he assisted Saka’s second with a well-timed cross. A constant threat all match. 9
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Kai Havertz: A favorite of Mikel Arteta, he put in his usual intelligent performance and finished well for Arsenal’s early lead. 8
Subs:
Martin Zubimendi (on 68, Rice): The World Cup winner entered the game when it was already secured, keeping things steady in front of the Arsenal defense. 7
Noni Madueke (on 68, Saka): Had little opportunity to influence the game as Arsenal cruised to victory. 6
Eberechi Eze (on 76, Tzolis): 5
Mikel Merino (on 76, Odegaard): 5
Piero Hincapie (on 81, Calafiori): 5
Subs not used: Arrizabalaga, Gyokeres, Nwaneri, Dowman
Coventry starting XI:
Carl Rushworth: Made a confident claim from an Arsenal corner in the first half but will be disappointed by his handling on the second Arsenal goal during his Premier League debut. Rushworth also struggled to save Odegaard’s scuffed shot for the third goal. 5
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Milan Van Ewijk: Committed a costly error leading to Arsenal’s opener, putting his team at a disadvantage early. 4
Bobby Thomas: Faced a challenging night, though he made a timely clearance after Rushworth parried a shot in the second half. 5
Aurele Amenda: Made a significant block to deny Bukayo Saka but was part of a defense that conceded three goals. 5
Jay Dasilva: Had a tough match against Saka, struggling to contain the Arsenal star. Managed one good dribble in the second half. 5
Matt Grimes: Attempted to create play from midfield as the Coventry captain but faced pressure throughout. 6
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Frank Onyeka: Worked hard but often without the ball, which limited his impact. 5
Caleb Yirenkyi: Added energy to Coventry’s midfield but struggled against a dominant Arsenal side, receiving a booking for a foul. 6
Loum Tchaouna: Provided some threat with a speculative effort that made Raya uneasy in the first half. 6
Brandon Thomas-Asante: Had limited opportunities to contribute as Coventry suffered from a lack of possession. 5
Ellis Simms: Put in a hard effort against Gabriel and showed skill on one occasion, but it was a tough match overall. 6
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Subs:
Victor Torp (on 62, Yirenkyi): Came on when the match was largely decided. 6
Taiwo Awoniyi (on 70, Simms): Tasked with leading the line despite being three goals down. 5
Jack Rudoni (on 70, Thomas-Asante): No opportunities to make an impact during his time on the pitch. 5
Hamer (on 82, Tchaouna): 5
Subs not used: Wilson, Sakamoto, Kitching, Latibeaudiere, Eccles.
How did you rate the players?
Arsenal started the defence of their Premier League title with a comfortable 3-0 win over Coventry.
Here are my player ratings and you can also see how you scored them at the bottom.
Arsenal starting XI
David Raya: The Arsenal number one was barely tested. 6
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Ben White: His partnership with Bukayo Saka was back to its best and he grabbed an assist for Arsenal’s third goal. 7
Cristhian Mosquera: A solid display from the centre-back, who had little to deal with. 7
Gabriel Magalhaes: Was given a tough ride by Ellis Simms at times and picked up a booking, but, on the whole, it was a comfortable evening for the Brazilian as Arsenal kept a clean sheet. 7
Riccardo Calafiori: The left-back is a key part of how Arsenal attack because of the unconventional positions he picks up. His pinpoint pass picked out Kai Havertz for the opening goal. 8
Myles Lewis-Skelly: A confident performance in the middle of pitch which makes all the talk of him potentially being sold during this transfer window look very silly. 7
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Declan Rice: A trademark powerful run with the ball started the attack for Arsenal’s second goal. 7
Martin Odegaard: The heartbeat of the Arsenal team. The captain had lots of bright moments as the Gunners pinned Coventry back. Scored a fortunate third but his performance deserved a goal. 8
Bukayo Saka: Looked back to his sharpest in the Community Shield last Sunday and brought that form into this game. Gave Jay Dasilva a torrid time and scored the second goal. 8
Christos Tzolis: A couple of very bright runs early on and a shot that went over the bar. It was his hard work that won the ball back for Arsenal’s opening goal and his cross was palmed into Saka for the second. A constant threat all match. 9
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Kai Havertz: The German international is one of Mikel Arteta’s favourite players and put in his usual intelligent performance. A very good finish to give Arsenal an early lead. 8
Subs:
Martin Zubimendi (on 68, Rice): Spain’s World Cup winner came on when the game was won and kept things simple in front of the Arsenal back four. 7
Noni Madueke (on 68, Saka): Not many chances to attack as Arsenal cruised to three points. 6
Eberechi Eze (on 76, Tzolis): 5
Mikel Merino (on 76, Odegaard): 5
Piero Hincapie (on 81, Calafiori): 5
Subs not used: Arrizabalaga, Gyokeres, Nwaneri, Dowman
Coventry starting XI:
Carl Rushworth: A confident take from an Arsenal corner in the first half, but will be disappointed in how he dealt with the second Arsenal goal on his Premier League debut. Rushworth was also beaten by a scuffed Odegaard shot for the third. 5
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Milan Van Ewijk: Lost the ball for the Arsenal opener and his team were up against it after going behind in the 15th minute. 4
Bobby Thomas: A tough night for the Coventry centre-back, but he did react well to clear when Rushworth parried a shot in the second half. 5
Aurele Amenda: A big block to deny Bukayo Saka from the edge of the six-yard box in the first half. Tried to battle physically with Havertz but part of a back four that conceded three. 5
Jay Dasilva: Had a difficult night against Saka, who was on top of his game. One good dribble in the second half. 5
Matt Grimes: The Coventry captain tried to get on the ball when he could in midfield but was not given any time. 6
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Frank Onyeka: A lot of hard work from Onyeka but unfortunately for him a lot of it was done without the ball. 5
Caleb Yirenkyi: Tried to give energy to the Coventry midfield but was overpowered by an impressive Arsenal side. Booked for a foul on Lewis-Skelly. 6
Loum Tchaouna: The winger provided some threat for Coventry on the wing and his speculative acrobatic effort in the first half had Raya panicking for a second. 6
Brandon Thomas-Asante: Coventry did not have much of the ball so the winger was not able to show much going forward. 5
Ellis Simms: The striker battled hard against Gabriel and beat him once with a nice piece of skill. 6
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Subs:
Victor Torp (on 62, Yirenkyi): The game was over when the midfielder came on. 6
Taiwo Awoniyi (on 70, Simms): Given a thankless task of leading the line when his side were three goals behind. 5
Jack Rudoni (on 70, Thomas-Asante): Not any chance to make an impact. 5
Hamer (on 82, Tchaouna): 5
Subs not used: Wilson, Sakamoto, Kitching, Latibeaudiere, Eccles.
How did you rate the players?
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