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Ballers & Fallers: Coventry (h)

I got a massage on Friday evening. One hour of deep tissue bombardment, focused almost entirely on my upper back. At times the pain seared through my body so intensely that I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Don’t worry, it wasn’t a “something concerning is happening” sort of pain, but more the variety that accompanies healing. Like the reforming of bones after they’re broken or the retaliation of white blood cells against foreign bodies, the pulverizing of knots formed through months of hunching over screens and probably lying around too much required some agony.

It was worth it, though. I walked back out into the world the most relaxed I’ve been in months. My shoulders felt lighter, the breeze on my face cooler, life more peaceful. I got an iced latte and a cake pop and strolled home, delightfully content.

The thing is, though, I had already been waist-deep in a state of serenity when I showed up for my appointment. My whole day had been filled with calm. Because of Arsenal.

Friday marked the beginning of the new Premier League campaign for the English champions. The Gunners hosted newly promoted Coventry City under the lights at the Emirates Stadium. And when that first starting lineup of the 2026/27 league season came out, I felt entirely at ease.

Elsewhere in the league, transformations have been abound. This summer in England’s top flight, the winds of change howled furiously until they became a hurricane of upheaval. All of the other members of the “Big Six” have appointed new managers within the last year, and have each spent or are preparing to spend big in the transfer market (in some cases, it’s both).

Change is exciting. It is often quite necessary. That was the case for each of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Spurs this past offseason. But the thing about change that is too frequently overlooked is that it also produces a wide range of outcomes. Persist with the routine and the result is fairly predictable. Attempt an overhaul and your fate could be stunning success, catastrophic failure, or anything in between.

We saw just how wildly fortunes can swing in the opening matchweek of the season. Manchester United, sporting debutants Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos at the base of midfield, deservedly lost 2-0 at Hull City on Saturday. Spurs, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Sandro Tonali, and Mateus Fernandes all making their first competitive appearances for the club, were handed a thorough beating at Brentford just hours later.

On paper, both sides had improved measurably. But out there on the pitch, it didn’t work. One way or another, the balance was off. Drastic makeovers are always encouraging in theory, but until that new team takes the pitch you just never know what you’re going to get.

But with Arsenal, I was fairly confident regarding what would occur at home to Coventry. Only one new player started in the Gunners’ first lineup of the Premier League campaign. The rest were veterans, whom we watched just a few months ago as they lifted a trophy that had eluded us for 22 years. These were players who had undoubtedly earned our trust.

So I was relaxed as I watched Mikel Arteta’s men warm up their engines to start the match. The champions just needed a second. And sure enough, they broke the deadlock after only 15 minutes. One goal became two and then three. On the opposite side of the ball, the visitors were kept producing hardly if any threatening moments. In the end, Arsenal’s first match in defense of their title was comfortable as can be.

Ultimately, Spurs and United will obviously improve. They have other players coming in and will gel over time. And the Gunners will play far stronger opponents than Coventry. But this is a team with winner’s medals around their necks and belief in their hearts that they can do it again. They are unshackled by fear and look ready to simply get out there and do what needs to be done. And they’ll get better too.

With all that in mind, it’s hard conjure stress right now. I’m sure that will rear its ugly head eventually, but for now, watching Arsenal feels like a massage for the soul.

Ballers

Christos Tzolis

The first few matches I watched involving the Greek winger made me wonder if Arsenal had seized upon a bargain. Following his performance against Coventry, I’m now pondering whether Tzolis could be a full-blown revelation. He has gone from strength to strength incredibly quickly, never failing to impress in his first few games for the club.

The Gunners’ no. 17 was instrumental in the champions’ first two goals. For the first it was Tzolis who won the ball off a defender before poking it to Riccardo Calafiori, who sweetly teed up Kai Havertz. His contribution was more direct for the second goal — Tzolis’ driven low cross was spilled by the Coventry keeper, allowing for Bukayo Saka to easily tap in from point-blank range.

In addition to helping create goalscoring situations for his teammates, he tried equally hard to engineer opportunities for himself. Tzolis finished with eight touches in the opposition box and took four shots, both the most of any player to feature on Friday night. He also created three chances; the most impressive involved a smart run to the right flank and, once found by Declan Rice, a lovely first-time cross that found Saka directly in front of Coventry’s goal.

Perhaps the best summation of his performance was how willing his teammates were to feed him. Time and time again, Tzolis received the ball on the left flank before turning and charging at Coventry’s defense. Almost every time he did so some moment of danger was created, be it a cross or a pass to the top of the box or a shot by the Greek. It just felt like every other highlight from the match came from something Tzolis did. All in all, it was a sensational showing.

Martin Ødegaard

The skipper also had an exceptional showing in the first Premier League game of the season. Of course, the headliner is the goal. Shortly after halftime Ødegaard latched onto a low ball across the box to put home Arsenal’s third goal of the game, just as he did against City in the Community Shield. Sure, he scuffed the shot and was fortunate it still got past the keeper, but I like to think he earned that.

Because aside from getting on the score sheet, the captain continued to look back to his old self. He managed 72 touches of the ball, happy to take responsibility in possession. With that possession he achieved 52 accurate passes from 56 attempted, including six line-breaking passes, four passes into the final third, and three chances created. The Norwegian also had six touches in Coventry’s box.

His play out of possession was highly encouraging as well. Ødegaard made three tackles over the course of his 76 minutes on the pitch, as well as four recoveries. He also won all four of his ground duels. The man with the armband continues to lead by example to start the season.

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Ben White

With Jurriën Timber out a little while longer, the responsibility at right back has fallen squarely on White’s shoulders. Against Coventry, a little over nine years after playing against them with Newport County, White played against them once more, but as a Premier League champion. And he did so with aplomb.