Arsenal make 'perfect start' to Prem title defense

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

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

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

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.

On the day that Arsenal confirmed the signing of England defender Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, 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 suffering a knock in last week's Community Shield win over Manchester City.

With Guimarães out, Myles Lewis-Skelly, the subject of much speculation over a move away this summer, was named alongside Declan Rice in midfield.

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 ($163m) 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.