Nine Premier League sides claimed victories in the opening round of fixtures, with only Brighton & Hove Albion achieving a more commanding result than the reigning champions.
Mikel Arteta’s side have already prompted at least one analyst to revise their title forecast following their convincing performance.
Sam Allardyce has shifted his allegiance and now predicts Arsenal will successfully defend their Premier League crown, having previously anticipated Manchester City would wrestle the trophy away from them this campaign.
The north London outfit secured a straightforward 3-0 triumph over Championship winners Coventry City at their Emirates home ground on Friday evening, with Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard each finding the target. Arteta was able to make several substitutions for Christos Tzolis, Declan Rice, Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Saka after their third goal.
Across the city, City required a comeback to overcome Bournemouth at home, with defenders Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol scoring after Marcus Tavernier had given the visitors the lead, resulting in Enzo Maresca’s first competitive match in charge.
Allardyce pointed to the significant alteration in management at City as the foundation for his revised outlook. The former top-flight manager stated on the Footy Accumulators podcast No Tippy Tappy Football that while Arsenal cannot be certain of clinching the title, they face no genuine opposition this term. He explained that while he had initially selected City as champions, a major managerial transition has led him to believe Arsenal will succeed.
Kevin Nolan also featured on the programme. He discussed Bruno Guimaraes, who missed the Coventry match through injury. Like the Brazilian international, Nolan previously captained Newcastle United. He suggested the acquisition of Guimaraes provides Arsenal with a capability they previously lacked.
They could deploy him alongside Declan Rice as two number eights, operating behind a solitary defensive midfielder, whether that is Martin Zubimendi or Myles Lewis-Skelly. Guimaraes gravitates towards the right flank naturally while Rice favours the left, so this arrangement would create excellent equilibrium and represents an excellent acquisition.
Lewis-Skelly was preferred to Zubimendi at kickoff, with Odegaard filling the void left by Guimaraes and also contributing a goal.
Arteta commented on the summer arrival after the match, expressing confidence the injury would not sideline him for an extended period. He noted the player had been eager to continue against City, which gave an indication of his mentality, but expected no lasting concerns.
Speaking ahead of the fixture regarding their title defence, the Arsenal manager stated it represents a genuine opportunity and acknowledged the squad’s hunger and determination to achieve it, while emphasising this must be earned through daily effort.