We’ve made it, folks. Arsenal start their Premier League title defense hosting Frank Lampard’s newly-promoted Coventry City side. It’s been three months since the Gunners raised the trophy at Selhurst Park. Somehow it feels like the time has flown by while that day also seems like a distant memory. Winning the title is one thing. Defending it is another. Arsenal haven’t ever gone back-to-back in the Premier League and last managed it as a club in the 1930s.
If anybody can do it, it’s this bunch. The
Gunners have refreshed, reloaded, and are the favorites to win the league with the rest of the big clubs in varying stages of transition. In typical Arsenal fashion, the club are already injury-plagued. William Saliba will miss a few months recovering from his back problem. Jurrien Timber won’t be back until sometime around the first international break in late September. And new addition Bruno Guimaraes is nursing a muscle problem that forced him off at halftime of the Community Shield. Mikel Arteta suggested he might be available for today’s contest, but it appears as if he’s going to miss some time. How much is anyone’s guess.
Arsenal just added Ezri Konsa to fill the gaps on the right side of the defense. As long as Bruno Guimaraes’ injury doesn’t linger, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lewis-Skelly can hold down the fort in the center of the park. I’d put that group of three up against any midfield core in the Premier League, but adding Bruno to that makes it unquestionably the best bunch and allows the minutes to be shared in a way that should keep all of them fitter and fresher. Missing Bruno is a bummer. His creative, progressive passing is expected to help get the Arsenal attack humming again.
As for today’s match, the Gunners should have enough to get by a newly-promoted side at home. It’s always a bit tricky to face a club playing it’s first Premier League game in several years because they’re always up for it. Coventry had an excellent season in the Championship, putting up a 1.13 goal difference per match. They walked to the title, topping the table from Week 9 through the end of the campaign but for one matchweek. Like Arsenal, they’re excellent from set pieces and strong in the air from crosses. Attackers Ellis Simms and Haji Wright are 6’3 and 6’4, and along with their third attacker Brandon Thomas-Asante, combined to score 43 league goals last season. Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth had a tremendous season, too. Will they all be able to replicate some of that success in the much, much more difficult Premier League? We’ll see.
Missing Haji Wright for up to three months won’t help things. The American attacker recently suffered a serious thigh injury.
Arsenal – Raya, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Ødegaard, Tzolis, Havertz, Saka
Coventry City – Rushworth, van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva, Grimes, Onyeka, Yirenki, Tchaouna, Thomas-Asante, Simms
WHO: Arsenal vs Coventry City
WHAT: Premier League MD1
WHEN: Friday, August 21st, 12:00 pm PT | 3:00 pm ET | 8:00 pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast on USA Network
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