Arsenal rout Coventry in 'perfect start' to Premier League title defense - ESPN

Arsenal made light work of Premier League new arrivals Coventry City as the Gunners began their title defense with a statement 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

Mikel Arteta's side backed up their billing as preseason title favorites with a victory that was never in doubt after Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored inside 23 minutes.

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Captain Martin Ødegaard added a third goal four minutes into the second half.

«The perfect start,» Ødegaard said.

The result gave Arteta his 150th win in 249 games in charge in the Premier League, with only Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson having achieved the feat in fewer games.

After winning their first league title in 22 years last season, Arsenal have their sights on becoming back-to-back English champions for the first time since they won three in a row between 1932 and 1935.

It was an inauspicious start to Coventry's first game back in the Premier League in 25 years.

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard led Coventry back to the top flight after winning England's second-tier Championship last season. But despite spending in excess of £120 million ($163 million) on seven new signings this summer, Coventry struggled to seriously threaten the champions and didn't have an effort on goal until the 86th minute.

Arsenal presented their latest signing, England defender Ezri Konsa, before kickoff, but Arteta named the impressive Christos Tzolis as the one newcomer in his starting lineup. Their biggest signing of the summer, midfielder Bruno Guimarães, missed out after