League: EPL Sport: Soccer Country: England Category: Scores & Results

Arsenal hosts Coventry City in Premier League opener on August 21

CBS Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 21, 2026, 9:07 AM

Last updated Aug 21, 2026

Arsenal hosts Coventry City in Premier League opener on August 21

Summary

Arsenal kicks off the 2026-27 Premier League season against Coventry City on August 21 at Emirates Stadium. This marks Arsenal's first season as defending champions in 22 years. The team comes off a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield, providing a boost ahead of the match. Coventry, newly promoted after a strong Championship season, will face a challenging start against the Gunners, who are expected to field a mostly available squad despite injuries to Jurrien Timber and William Saliba. Mikel Arteta's projected lineup includes key players like Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard.

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Status Watch

•Match scheduled for August 21 at 3 p.m. ET
•Arsenal enters as defending champion
•Coventry City makes Premier League return after 25 years
•Arsenal projected to start with David Raya in goal
•Injuries to Jurrien Timber and William Saliba affect lineup

Latest Updates

6:23 PMCBS Sports — Premier League opening weekend: Arsenal begin title defense as Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United chase
9:07 AMYahoo Sports — Arsenal projected lineup vs Coventry City: How will Gunners begin opener?

What they're saying

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Arsenal enter the season as defending champions and will kicking things off against newly promoted side Coventry City, which marks the first game of the new campaign
— CBS Sportsby Pardeep Cattry