Arsenal 3-0 Coventry: Gunners kick off Premier League title defence with routine win | Football

A comfortable win on opening day for the defending champions.

Goals from Havertz, Saka and Odegaard secure victory for the Gunners and get their title defence off to the perfect start.

90+2 mins: To their credit, the Coventry fans in the away end have barely stopped signing all evening.

It’s not been their night, but away at Arsenal is hardly the type of game that is going to define their season.

90 mins: Four minutes of added time as Merino’s effort draws a good save out of Rushworth.

86 mins: Coventry’s best chance of the half, but Topr can’t quite find the power or direction on his header, having done well to find space between Gabriel and Mosquera.

83 mins: I can’t say there has been an abundance of goalmouth action since that third Arsenal goal, but the hosts have looked more than comfortable just ticking the clock down here.

A comfortable three points on their way to being confirmed.

82 mins: A fifth and final change for Arsenal as Calafiori makes way for Hincapie. Mikel Arteta just showcasing the remarkable depth in his squad here tonight.

Coventry respond with another change of their own as Tchaouna makes way for Harmer.

78 mins: Merino gets on the ball for the first time since coming on, but his effort is smothered inside the area.

76 mins: Two more subs for the hosts as Eze and Merino come on for Tzolis and Odegaard.

Both departing players are greeted with huge cheers from the home fans. Tzolis, in particular, had an extremely positive league debut.

73 mins: Almost a superb one-two between Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori, but Rushworth comes off his line well to deny the marauding Italian inside the Coventry area.

70 mins: Brighton respond with a double change of their own as Awoniyi and Rudoni come on for Simms and Thomas-Asante.

68 mins: A double change from Arsenal as Madueke and Zubimendi come on for Saka and Rice.

67 mins: Thomas lines one up from range, but the Coventry defender drags his effort well wide of the mark.

64 mins: Tzolis combining again well with Havertz, but the German’s low cross is blocked behind for a corner.

62 mins: The first sub of the game as Yirenkyi comes off for Torp.

61 mins: Tzolis looks eager to get on the scoresheet this evening, but sees his latest effort deflected wide of the post for a corner.

57 mins: Havertz storms forward on the counterattack and feeds Odegaard, but the Arsenal skipper can’t quite find the final ball to Tzolis in the area as the offisde flag goes up on the winger.

55 mins: Positive from Coventry as Van Ewijk gets forward on the overlap, but his clipped cross just evades his teammates at the far post.

52 mins: A nice give-and-go between Havertz and Saka, but the latter’s effort is tipped over the bar from Rushworth.

Arsenal have picked up exactly where they left off in the first half.

And Arsenal have a third! White cuts it back to Odegaard, who scuffs his effort into the back of the net past a helpless Rushworth.

Not the fortune that Coventry needed, and that could be that for their hopes this evening…

46 mins: And we’re back underway.