Arsenal and Tzolis hit the ground running in champions' opening day romp against Coventry City
- By Yann Tear at Emirates Stadium
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Premier League
Arsenal (2) 3 Havertz 15, Saka 23, Odegaard 49
Coventry City (0) 0
The Champions are up and running and what a far cry from the last time they opened the season on a Friday night against a newly promoted side.
Five years ago, a very naive Gunners side were beaten 2-0 at Brentford on a very sobering night at the Gtech. Tonight, Mikel Arteta's men were never going to let that happen to them.
It was a stroll in the park and also in sharp contrast to their last competitive game at the Emirates - that nervy and absolutely crucial 1-0 win against Burnley in the final week of the season.
Among the players in the Bees ranks on that famous night for the west Londoners at the start of the 2021/22 season was Frank Onyeka, who happened to be in the Coventry side for this one. But although the midfielder played well, he could not stem the flow of Gunners pressure which all but sealed the deal after the first 45 minutes.
Catching the eye in a really polished opening half was the newcomer Christos Tzolis. The Greek winger was instantly up to speed and settling in well - dictating the tempo and causing havoc down the left flank vacated by the now departed Leandro Trossard.
Tzolis was heavily involved from the word go, cutting inside to rasp a shot just over before switching to the right to set up Bukayo Saka for a shot deflected behind. He also had a low shot blocked after Ben White had rolled a ball back to him on the edge of the area.
It was no surprise that he had a hand in the breakthrough, dispossessing Milan van Ewijk to feed Riccardo Calafiori and the Italian's crisp pass into the middle was coolly swept into the bottom corner by Kai Havertz.
It wasn't long before the lead doubled. It was started by Declan Rice, playing with an intensity and precision he has no right to display so early in the season after an exhausting season followed by a World Cup campaign.
A typical charge into enemy territory saw him feed Tzolis down the left and when the winger crossed low, keeper Carl Rushworth made a hash of it, spilling the ball for Saka to tap in from a few yards. Coventry failed to cope with the Greek baring gifts for the rampant Gunners.
More damage looked likely to be inflicted, with Rice inches away from adding a third before the break with a curling left footer from just outside the box. But another goal was to come early in the second half when White, on the overlap, centred for Martin Odegaard to find the net with a mishit shot which totally deceived the unlucky Rushworth.
And that was it really. With the mere 37 more games to go in the Premier League season, there was no need to get carried away or to risk premature burn out.
A flurry of subs ensured there would be no straining and some simple disciplined game management ensured the final 20 minutes were something of a non event. And non events will do just fine most of the time as Arsenal pursue more silverware this term to add to the major domestic bauble collected in May.
Viktor Gyokeres remained on the bench and did not feature against his old club - Havertz staying on for the full 90. But the strength of the subs bench showed just why Arteta's men are once again fancied for the title with all their rivals in something of a state of flux under new management.
Gunners: (4-3-3) Raya - White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori (Hincapie 81) - Odegaard (Merino 76), Rice (Zubimendi 68), Lewis-Skelly - Saka (Madueke 68), Havertz, Tzolis (Eze 76)
Sky Blues: (4-3-3) Rushworth - van Ewijk, Thomas, Amenda, Dasilva - Onyeka, Yirenkyi (Trorp 62), Grimes - Thomas-Asante (Rudoni 70), Simms (Awoniyi 70), Tchaouna (Hamer 82)
Attendance: 60,098
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