EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsArsenal made light work of Premier League new arrivals Coventry City as the Gunners began their title defense with a statement 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Friday.Mikel Arteta's side backed up their billing as preseason title favorites with a victory that was never in doubt after Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored inside 23 minutes.Captain Martin degaard added a third goal four minutes into the second half.The result gave Arteta his 150th win in 249 games in charge in the Premier League, with only Pep Guardiola, Jos Mourinho, Jrgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson having achieved the feat in fewer games.After winning their first league title in 22 years last season, Arsenal have their sights on becoming back-to-back English champions for the first time since they won three in a row between 1932 and 1935.On the day that Arsenal confirmed the signing of England defender Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa, Arteta named the impressive Christos Tzolis as the one newcomer in his starting lineup. Their biggest signing of the summer, midfielder Bruno Guimar�es, missed out after suffering a knock in last week's Community Shield win over Manchester City.With Guimar�es out, Myles Lewis-Skelly, the subject of much speculation over a move away this summer, was named alongside Declan Rice in midfield.It was an inauspicious start to Coventry's first game back in the Premier League in 25 years.Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard led Coventry back to the top flight after winning England's second-tier Championship last season. But despite spending in excess of �120 million ($163 million) on seven new signings this summer, Coventry struggled to seriously threaten the champions and didn't have an effort on goal until the 86th minute.Arsenal's comfortable evening was started by Havertz, who scored only twice in the league last season after he was sidelined for almost five months with a knee injury sustained on the opening weekend.But after he started, and scored, in Arsenal's crushing 3-0 win over Man City five days ago, the Germany international was retained in the lineup -- in favor of former Coventry striker Viktor Gykeres -- and back on the scoresheet.Tzolis was involved and, after smothering right-back Milan van Ewijk, Riccardo Calafiori's drag back was expertly converted by Havertz.There were question marks over the fitness of both Rice and Saka during England's run to the semifinals of the World Cup. And both were, perhaps tellingly, withdrawn after the hour mark here.But it was Rice's drive to the edge of the penalty area -- assisted by a neat one-two with degaard -- that sparked Arsenal's second in the 23rd minute.Rice played in Tzolis and his cross was only clawed away by goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, with Saka on hand to covert the rebound.The result was put beyond any doubt shortly after halftime.The visiting defense afforded degaard the freedom of the Emirates, and he found Saka, who played in the overlapping Ben White. The fullback's pass landed back at degaard's feet, with his miscued finish bamboozling Rushworth.PA contributed to this report.
