Arsenal vs Conventry City: Five Things We Learned

The Premier League returned this past Friday with Arsenal easily dispatching Coventry City. It was quite the welcoming committee for Frank Lampard's newly promoted side, as they found themselves at the end of a merciless 3 nil thrashing against the Gunners.

The season began with a wave of questions, speculations, and uncertainties; a large bulk of them aimed at Arsenal. The North London Red side find themselves in a somewhat precarious situation due to William Saliba’s injury and what some consider a lacklustre pre-season and transfer window. But was this performance (and their Community Shield win) enough to put some doubts to rest? These are five things we learned from the EPL opener.

1. A return to form for Saka….maybe?

Saka, once considered to be Arsenal’s star boy, has been the subject of much scrutiny. Understandable, considering he’s currently Arsenal’s highest-paid player, with a weekly salary of £300,000. Despite Arsenal winning the league last season, many in the fanbase would agree that Saka’s contributions left a lot to be desired. They simply don’t command the salary he’s earning.

However, Saka’s been playing first-team football for Arsenal since he was 16, with over 227 appearances. Not to mention his international career. So he’s had very few breaks in between, and his decline in recent years could be blamed on burnout and injuries.

Despite Martin Odegaard being crowned Man of the Match, Saka was the highest-rated player on the field, with a goal in the 23rd minute, three shots, an xG of 0.64, and 88% pass accuracy.

If you’ve been paying attention to England during the World Cup, Saka’s return to form isn’t exactly new. During The Three Lions’ campaign, he played 357 minutes, scored three goals and had an average player rating of 7.3. While we can’t confidently state that he’s back to his best, a promising season lies ahead for the 24-year-old.

2. Who needs Vinícius Jr? We have Tsoliz

As scintillating as Saka’s performance was, one man drew some unexpected praise from both the fanbase and Mikel Arteta.

Christos Tsoliz was introduced as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, purchased for a modest £34 million from Club Brugge. Considering what a mess the transfer market is (look out for a future post about that), this is looking like the best bit of business conducted by any top 6 Premier League side.

While Tsoliz's pre-season appearances indicated that he was a promising player, he played like a revelation on Friday. His decision-making, hunger, decisiveness, and sharpness were all praiseworthy. However, it would be a mistake to let his performance lull Arsenal into a false sense of security. They still need a world-class left-winger if they hope to secure the UEFA Champions League or successfully defend their title. Regardless, Tsoliz is one to keep an eye on.

3. Martinelli’s future

Many pundits were surprised to see Trossard go during the summer transfer window as he was one of Arsenal’s most prolific forwards with 6 goals and 6 assists. Some expected to see Gabriel Martinelli, who amassed a single goal tally of 1 and no assists in the EPL, to leave first.

Martinelli does have youth, his contributions to Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League charge (6 goals), and his significance in Brazil’s squad on his side. But because of contractual uncertainties and the arrival of Tsoliz, his time with Arsenal appears to be ending.

Martinelli was completely excluded from Arsenal’s squad against Coventry; not even securing a spot on the bench. Some speculated that he might be injured. However, this wasn’t the case at all. A few observers have pointed out how dejected and languid his body language was as he watched the game from the rafters. Of course, this could be them just projecting.

The star has a year left on his contract and has attracted strong interest from clubs in Turkey, Italy, and Spain. Most notably, Galatasaray lodged a formal bid for €38 million, which was rejected by both club and player.

It’s an interesting dilemma as Arsenal still has what some may consider less talented hanger-ons like Reiss Nelson and Fabio Viera. If Arsenal hope to move forward and compete with the likes of PSG, they need to clear out these players.

Martinelli has struggled to fit into Arteta’s system(s). He was never given a chance to play down the middle in the 9 (or false nine) position in the same way he was under Emery. In my view, this isn’t just a matter of his talent or capabilities; it’s about compatibility too.

I also agree with Ian Wright's comments on Arteta freezing Martinelli out of the squad. It feels disrespectful towards him, and it’s uncomfortable to watch.

4. We don’t talk about Bruno – Arsenal’s squad depth

After signing in August, we’ve only seen Bruno Guimarães play in two matches for Arsenal (Como and Manchester City). His integration was so natural across both games that it seemed as if he’d been wearing Arsenal’s colours forever. Thus, it was disappointing to see that he wasn’t on the squad against Coventry City.

It turns out that Bruno picked up a slight injury during the Community Shield match against Manchester City. Mikel Arteta confirmed that while the injury was minor, he didn’t want to risk Bruno, instead electing to manage his fitness carefully.

Despite jelling well with the squad, the manager wants to integrate Bruno carefully. He wasn’t missed, as Myles Lewis-Skelly started in midfield alongside Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard. Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Merino were also on the bench.

Bruno will be key to Arsenal’s trophy haul this season. His not being needed in Arsenal's decimation of Coventry is a testament to how deep Arsenal’s squad is.

5. A more positive style of play

Arsenal’s 2025/2026 style of play is considered the pinnacle of what is colloquially known as “haramball” (anti-football). This is a pragmatic defensive approach that relies on set-pieces and putting every player behind the ball.

Arsenal wasn’t always known for this style of play. Many fans who watched Arsenal last season found themselves yearning for Wenger-ball despite winning matches. Arsenal were more attacking and free-flowing against Coventry City.

One could surmise that it was because of the quality of their opponents. However, they played similarly against Man City during their Community Shield clash. It’s still early days, but it’s nice to see Arsenal play with a faster, more positive tempo.

Conclusion

It’s looking to be another great season for Arsenal fans. In fact, it may even top the 2025/2026 season. All of this still hinges on how well The Gunners (and their rivals) move throughout the rest of the transfer window. Nevertheless, Arsenal’s performance against Coventry City should put their rivals on high alert. Yes, they’re a newly promoted side, but Manchester Utd’s loss against Hull City should remind us not to underestimate these teams. So what did you learn from Arsenal’s win over Coventry City?