In what seems like no time at all, the Premier League begins again on Friday evening, as reigning champions Arsenal take on new boys Coventry, back in the big time after 25 long years.
Frank Lampard has worked wonders at the Sky Blues, but they couldn’t have asked for a tougher opening fixture to begin their 2026/27 campaign.
First Premier League meeting since 2001
It’s the first time that the two teams have played each other in the English top flight since February 2001, a match that the Gunners won 1-0 at Highfield Road.
The only other time the two teams have faced each other on the opening day of the season came way back in 1993/94, when a Mick Quinn hat-trick helped Coventry to a 3-0 win, in a season that the Sky Blues did the double over the North Londoners.
Since then, however, they’ve won just one league meeting out of 14 (D5, L8), a 3-2 win on Boxing Day 1999.
The last time the Sky Blues won on opening day was, coincidentally, also the last time Arsenal lost their first fixture of the season.
On that day back in 2021/22, the Gunners lost 2-0 to Brentford, with Coventry beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 in the Championship.
Since then, the Midlanders have drawn two and lost two on opening day, and Arsenal have eased to victory in all four of their fixtures. The Gunners have only won five consecutive first games of a season once in their history before now, however, between 2001/02 and 2005/06.
Coventry could create history with a win
Though Coventry have played at the Emirates Stadium before, they’ve been humbled on both occasions. A 6-1 loss in the League Cup in 2012 was followed by a 4-0 FA Cup defeat in 2014.
On this, their first-ever EPL fixture at the ground, they will be looking to join a select group of clubs to win their debut league encounter there (Arsenal, West Ham and Hull City).
