Mikel Arteta has named his first Arsenal starting XI of the 2026/27 Premier League season, with Kai Havertz preferred to £63million striker Viktor Gyokeres against Coventry City.
Arsenal begin their title defence at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night, with Arteta making several significant selection decisions.
Havertz leads the attack after scoring in last weekend’s 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City, while Gyokeres has been named among the substitutes.
ReadArsenal highlighted before the game that Coventry represented a major opportunity for Gyokeres to reclaim Arsenal’s No.9 role, but Arteta has instead kept faith with Havertz.
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Your Premier League opening day XI ✊
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— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 21, 2026
Arsenal confirmed XI vs Coventry
David Raya starts in goal behind a back four of Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori.
Mosquera continues alongside Gabriel with William Saliba unavailable.
Declan Rice starts in midfield despite his carefully managed build-up to the season, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and captain Martin Odegaard completing the central trio.
Bruno Guimaraes is absent from the matchday squad altogether.
The £75m midfielder had already emerged as an injury concern before the Coventry game, with fresh reporting on Friday suggesting he could now face a spell on the sidelines.
Martin Zubimendi is available but begins on the bench.
Bukayo Saka starts on the right of Arteta’s attack, while summer signing Christos Tzolis retains his place on the opposite flank after an impressive Community Shield performance.
Havertz completes the front three.
Ezri Konsa is not included in the squad after completing his transfer from Aston Villa earlier on Friday.
Arsenal confirmed the deal after the England defender completed his medical and signed a long-term contract, but supporters will have to wait for his debut.
Arteta has plenty of attacking options among his substitutes, with Gyokeres joined by Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman.
Arsenal XI
Raya; White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard; Saka, Tzolis, Havertz.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Eze, Gyokeres, Madueke, Nwaneri, Merino, Zubimendi, Dowman.
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