A look ahead to Arsenal's opening day Premier League fixture against Coventry City

[p]Frank Lampard has worked wonders at the Sky Blues, but they couldn't have asked for a tougher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/coventry-GOvB22xg/?mid=2q2NhX43"]opening fixture[/a] to begin their 2026/27 campaign.[/p][infobox id="c5ce5f5a-ccb6-468f-9fce-bb4a330c372a" /][h2]First Premier League meeting since 2001[/h2][p]It's the first time that the two teams have played each other in the English top flight since February 2001, a match that the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Gunners[/a] won 1-0 at Highfield Road.[/p][p]The only other time the two teams have faced each other on the opening day of the season came way back in 1993/94, when a Mick Quinn hat-trick helped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/coventry/GOvB22xg/"]Coventry[/a] to a 3-0 win, in a season that the Sky Blues did the double over the North Londoners.[/p][image alt="Recent H2H meetings" id="edd72f29-edbd-497e-ba74-4d45994c77e5" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="b4dd3a6a-c82d-4847-ae7d-9e5f3828b6d5" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Since then, however, they've won just one league meeting out of 14 (D5, L8), a 3-2 win on Boxing Day 1999.[/p][p]The last time the Sky Blues won on opening day was, coincidentally, also the last time Arsenal lost their first fixture of the season.[/p][embed guid="7dc12a0c-9477-4f88-8ad5-68b5c63fcad6" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2090333209016041612" social-type="twitter" /][p]On that day back in 2021/22, the Gunners lost 2-0 to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a], with Coventry beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] 2-1 in the Championship.[/p][p]Since then, the Midlanders have drawn two and lost two on opening day, and Arsenal have eased to victory in all four of their fixtures. The Gunners have only won five consecutive first games of a season once in their history before now, however, between 2001/02 and 2005/06.[/p][h2]Coventry could create history with a win[/h2][p]Though Coventry have played at the Emirates Stadium before, they've been humbled on both occasions. A 6-1 loss in the League Cup in 2012 was followed by a 4-0 FA Cup defeat in 2014.[/p][p]On this, their first-ever EPL fixture at the ground, they will be looking to join a select group of clubs to win their debut league encounter there (Arsenal, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-ham/Cxq57r8g/"]West Ham[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull City[/a]).[/p][embed guid="0d1fb01d-c769-4090-98fc-c71e595652cd" url="https://x.com/CoventryCityFC/status/2090111296947503356" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Sky Blues will certainly be up against it, as Mikel Arteta's side are unbeaten against promoted sides in the Premier League in 45 home games (W40, D5). It's the longest such run in the history of the EPL.[/p][p]They've also won 17 of 18 against promoted sides since 2023/24, with the exception being a 2-2 draw against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] in 2025/26.[/p][p]Furthermore, they've won all three opening day games in which they've been the reigning Premier League champions, against Forest in 1998/99, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/birmingham/SWk4muv7/"]Birmingham City[/a] in 2002/03 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a] in 2004/05.[/p][h2]Can Arteta make it 150 Premier League wins?[/h2][p]Coventry's first Premier League game in 25 years and 94 days represents the longest gap between matches in EPL history, and with them having lost their last seven away league games against the reigning champions, the task awaiting Lampard and his squad is crystal clear.[/p][p]Arteta could make his own slice of history if his side triumphs on Friday night, too.[/p][embed guid="04b9aee8-a159-4719-b5e2-b908fccb64f0" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2089683981730299936" social-type="twitter" /][p]At present, the Spaniard has won 149 of his 248 EPL games in charge, and if Arsenal win again against Coventry, he'll become only the fifth manager to win 150 matches in less than 250 total league games, after Pep Guardiola (204), Jose Mourinho (231), Jurgen Klopp (237) and Sir Alex Ferguson (247).[/p][p]After losing 2-1 to Lampard's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] side in their first-ever meeting in December 2019, which was Arteta's first home game as Arsenal manager, he is unbeaten in the last five in all competitions against the Englishman, winning all of the last four.[/p][image alt="Win probability" id="dbe34b6a-8231-4dbb-9488-25936349dabf" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e760e862-11aa-4c7f-b071-c36fd1a03c6c" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]Coventry have had a great pre-season, including recording some notable victories over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/monaco/2PIvr8o4/"]Monaco[/a] (2-0) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/espanyol/QFfPdh1J/"]Espanyol[/a] (3-1), whilst Arsenal thumped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Man City[/a] in the Community Shield after drawing 1-1 with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/como/ttyLthOA/"]Como[/a] and losing to both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dortmund/nP1i5US1/"]Borussia Dortmund[/a] (2-3) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Real Betis[/a] (1-3).[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bruno-guimaraes/xtyKanzU/"]Bruno Guimaraes[/a] will make his league debut for the hosts, who have strengthened further with the recent capture of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a]'s England international, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konsa-ezri/4CQLQWTa/"]Ezri Konsa[/a], the England international likely being presented in front of an expectant home crowd before the match.[/p][p]Here we go again...[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/coventry-GOvB22xg/?mid=2q2NhX43"]Follow Arsenal vs Coventry City with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]