Morning guys.
The day is finally here. Reigning Premier League Champions, The Arsenal, are kicking off the 2026/27 season with a home fixture against newly promoted Coventry City at 8pm.
Coventry manager Frank Lampard is no stranger to the Premier League having won many a trophy during his playing days but management has been a bit tougher. He and Mikel Arteta have gone head to head six times with the Spaniard coming out on top with 4 wins to 1. Yes, the other match was a draw.
We know both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber aren’t available for this match but Bruno Guimaraes is a doubt too after picking up a knock last weekend. Other than that, everyone else should be available for selection. Not that I anticipate seeing Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira or Reiss Nelson in the squad.
Mikel Arteta touched on player sales during his press conference yesterday.
On the possibility of players leaving who have been here a long time:
It’s a really, really tough moment, you need to face that reality. But you need to face it with real honesty and transparency because when you are on the other side, that’s exactly what you need. You might not like what you’ve been told, but if it’s truthful, if it’s the reality, if it’s honest and it’s going to help you to make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that. These are always very difficult conversations, but they need to be done. It’s like when a player doesn’t feel that he belongs or he’s important, he wants to have a different chapter, I think that communication has to exist and it has to be both ways. We all know, everything has a start and has an end. When it comes to the end, I think our duty, our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship, but understanding that at the end, we need to make football decisions.
On giving minutes for players in the squad:
Without talking about any specifics, that’s something that we are working on with every individual to understand. Because I would like to have the squad as big as possible because we know what we are fighting for, how long this is and will learn again from the past, especially last year, when we got in some difficult situations and we had two or three injuries in the same area of the pitch. So the deeper the squad that we have, the better. We have to manage that. But the players have to feel important and valued and in order to do that, they need to play minutes.
On Myles Lewis-Skelly being an Arsenal player at the end of the window:
100%.
That’s the best news, shame someone didn’t ask Mikel about Ethan Nwaneri too with the same answer coming forth. Thankfully the transfer window slams shut in just ten days time and all this speculation will shut down too.
As for the game today, I’ve no idea how Coventry play home or away but I’m pretty sure there will be some kind of defensive setup in place despite them cantering to a Championship winning season, apparently playing free flowing and entertaining football along the way.
Lampard will have watched our defeat of Man City last weekend I’m sure and would have made note of our danger men which these days is any Arsenal player. Or should that read every Arsenal player.
My guess is the starting eleven will be very similar to last Sunday unless Martin Zubimendi comes in for Bruno Guimaraes. I can’t see Declan Rice or Bukayo Saka starting this one but Arteta might opt for Viktor Gyokeres up front instead of Kai Havertz. Who knows?
As reigning champions and the constant “Arsenal haven’t won the title for 100 years”…. banished for good, this group of players should be able to be play with more freedom and a lot less nerves. They know what it takes to win, they’ve felt it themselves and as a group. They’ve experienced the joy it brings to everyone who loves the club.
Everyone at the club and we the fans want more success. Not because it’s expected or that we’re entitled to but because this group of players are good enough to achieve more. A long ten months ahead guys and at times it might be rocky but as we saw last season, even when the chips are down, this group of Arsenal players come back fighting.
Catch up in the comments..
Nice preview Rico,
I’d go for Gyokeres up front anyway,but especially as a former Coventry player.
The defence will probably be the same,who replaces Bruno in midfield,and whether Saka plays are the big questions. I’m sure Arteta will want all the big players for Aston Villa away.
Three points against Coventry are just as important though so who knows. One thing is sure our rivals will celebrate wildly if Coventry even get a goal,never mind if they were to draw or even win.
After our performance last week I’m so relaxed about tonight,might not be come kick off time!
Whatever happens we still have 37 games left…
COYG
Morning Rico and all. nice write up Rico, I have set my alarm as kick off is 5am in oz and speaking of oz it was great to read the interview with Martin odegaard were he thanks and mentions the fans in Australia and around the world who get up very early in the morning to watch Arsenal play.
Hopefully we come out firing and put the match to bed early as the longer it takes to score the more confident, they will fee of snatching an unlikely win against us.
It’s all that cold rain that’s been falling in it, Rico.😉
Morning Kev, Cicero. Thank you.
My goodness, the sea was cold this morning…
Konsa signs for £51 million
Apparently both Everton and Ipswich Town are interested in Jesus, wait till they see his wages…
Assuming that Vieira goes and Nelson goes and if Jesus and Martinelli stay we still have room for one more signing in the 25 man squad. Myles, Ethan, Marli and Max are still U21 and don’t count, although I’m not sure about Setford?
Our biggest competitor this season? Fitness…
Morning Gunners, morning Rico, nice post, I wonder who Arteta was talking to with those ‘everything comes to an end’ comments, was it Jesus? Was it Martinelli? Was it Noni? 😉
The injury to Bruno might change Arteta’s plans regarding easing Rice back into the team, I guess it’s more likely that Declan starts as Zubimendi hasn’t played much at all, after this evening we have almost 9 days before we play again so they’ll all get plenty of rest. But other than Rice I can’t see many changes from Cardiff, I mean why would there be after that performance? I guess that Gyokeres could get a start?
No news on the Konsa front, maybe he will be presented prior to kick-off.
Good morning Rico, for me the panic is over, no broken windows, no electronic equipment scattered over the road. Sky Sports was switched on overnight so I can watch out opening match this evening. Phew!
Great post, by the way thank you.