Since the dawn of the Premier League in 1992, there have been 4 back-to-back champions; Manchester United (1992-1994, 1995-1997), Chelsea (2004-2006) and Manchester City (2017-2019). Manchester United won back-to-back-to-back PL titles twice, 1998-2001 and 2006-2009. Manchester City hold the unique distinction of being the only club to win back-to-back-to-back-to-back PL titles (2020-2024). A truly phenomenal feat in this day and age, even with the ungodly amounts of money pumped into the club by Sheikh Mansour and the United Arab Emirates. While Arsenal are still very far off from achieving what Manchester City did, winning the league 4 times in a row, they do have the opportunity to win back-to-back PL titles for the first time in the modern era. A 3-nil home victory over newly promoted Coventry City starts the season off right.

All players dream of putting on their nations’ colors and playing in a World Cup. The ones that are lucky enough to get the opportunity, participate with every ounce of their being and create lifetime memories and moments. Several Arsenal players were lucky enough to be called up to their national teams to fight for the ultimate prize in North America. A hearty congratulations to David Raya, Martín Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and the rest of the Spanish team on their World Cup victory. Now, did everyone come back healthy?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. World-class centerback William Saliba picked up a back injury that was severe enough to force him to consult with a surgeon, and contemplate surgery, but opted to take time off and let it heal naturally. The Frenchman will be out a handful of months before he’s able to make his season debut. Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta and Arteta must’ve felt they needed to reinforce the position as they bought Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa for nearly $70 million dollars. Several other key players like Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães all played significant minutes at the World Cup, missed parts of preseason and are still working their way back to full match fitness.

Even down a few players Mikel Arteta fielded a very strong XI, including Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhães, David Raya, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera and Myles-Lewis Skelly. He also gave summer signing Christos Tzolis his Arsenal debut. From the opening minute until he subbed out in the 75th minute, Tzolis was outstanding. He was buzzing up and down the left side, dribbling into the opposing box and, most importantly, creating scoring chances for his new teammates. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cross to the back post, a low cross across the box or a dribble and cutback pass Tzolis wants to create. Although, it was his pressing that led to the opening goal.

Around the 15th minute Coventry City were trying to play out from the back through their right. One of their players was caught on the ball by Christos Tzolis and turned it over. Tzolis passed to Riccardo Calafiori, who was also helping press. The Italian showed some remarkably agile ball-carrying and passing ability as he glided around a Coventry defender, leaving the player in his wake and weighted up a perfect pass to Kai Havertz, who hit it first-time from just inside the Coventry box. Kai eyed up the pass, swung his left boot through the ball and guided it past the Coventry goalie’s outstretched glove perfectly for the goal. Arsenal’s 2nd goal came a few minutes later in the 22nd minute.

Declan Rice found Martin Ødegaard, who broke free in midfield and played the pass back to Declan Rice, who was running forward into space. Rice then took a couple of dribbles to the top of the Coventry box and passed to Christos Tzolis on the left. Tzolis immediately fired in a low cross the goalie had to parry away. The ball doesn’t get cleared far enough, falls right into Bukayo Saka’s path on the rebound and he smashes it home for the goal. The speed in which the attack started and ended was wonderful, the ball didn’t linger at any player’s feet too long. Getting forward quickly, without letting the defense get settled, and trying to create chances is something Arteta and Arsenal need to get in the habit of doing. It’s all well and good to play for set-pieces and corners and make a habit out of scoring from those chances, but at some point the team needs to evolve.

Only 3 minutes into the 2nd half Martin Ødegaard killed the match off scoring Arsenal’s 3rd goal. Bukayo Saka hit Ben White on the overlapping run, which unsettled the Coventry defense and forced them to collapse their lines. This caused the defense to lose Ødegaard in the box. The Norwegian found himself alone, with the ball at his feet, near the 6-yard box. Somehow, he scuffed his shot and got only a minimal amount of power behind it. The Coventry goalie was leaning the opposite way when the shot came at him. He was able to get a hand on the ball, but didn’t possess the wrist strength to parry it away.

Once the 3rd goal went in it felt like Arsenal’s intensity levels went down and they slightly backed off for the last 20-ish minutes. This coincided with Rice, Saka, Ødegaard and Tzolis all coming off. It was good to get those guys off the pitch, as it’s a long season and they need their minutes managed. Plus, with Arsenal’s incredible depth the drop off to the 2nd unit is minimal. Those guys need minutes too.

Next up for Arsenal is a Monday (8/31) trip to Villa Park against Aston Villa, a team who was shredded 4-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion. They are having a bit of a rough transfer window selling talented players like Morgan Rodgers, Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans without replacing them. This doesn’t even include the weirdness going on with star striker Ollie Watkins, who was Villa’s leading goal scorer in 2025/26 with 16 goals. Watkins is more than fairly paid at Aston Villa, around $175k a week, but is already 30 years old. This means he’ll get one last huge contract and it looks like it will be in Saudi Arabia, who certainly don’t mind paying through the nose. It’s rumored he’s had his head turned by a more than $20 million dollars a year offer by Al-Hilal. After coming in 4th last season and qualifying for the Champions League things were looking bright for Unai Emery and Aston Villa, but once they sold their talisman Morgan Rodgers, and a select few others, the dream of repeating last year’s feat became very unlikely.