Coventry manager Frank Lampard acknowledged that his team felt the stark difference between the Championship and the standard set by the reigning English champions. Arsenal started their Premier League season with a commanding 3-0 home victory.
Goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard secured three points for Mikel Arteta’s side. Coventry, having earned promotion after winning in the Championship, managed just a single shot on target throughout the match.
In his post-match remarks, Lampard particularly highlighted Arsenal's off-the-ball game:
They have practically everything. They are exceptional without the ball – last season they were the best team in the league at that, and all the stats back that up. They shut down passing options rapidly, and as a team, we simply hadn't faced that before.
Even from the sidelines, you can feel their high technical level and physical power. They play football brilliantly.
Pressuring them high up the pitch is very difficult because they can bypass your press and tear your setup apart in an instant.
The Coventry coach noted that his team had chosen to meet the opponent closer to the middle of the park, yet it took Arsenal just a few moments to gain a decisive upper hand:
This is a very strong and cohesive team that they’ve built. The gap in levels is clear. We knew the Premier League was a step up, but Arsenal are currently the best at it. They proved that last season, and today we felt it first-hand.
Lampard later stressed that he wouldn’t be jumping to long-term conclusions following a defeat to the reigning champions:
If we needed to immediately grasp the level of the Premier League, today we certainly saw it. Many teams will come here and struggle to take points.
