Arsenal kicked off their Premier League title defence in dominant fashion in the opening game of the 2026/27 season, resoundingly dispatching newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates on August 21st. Kai Havertz opened the Gunners’ account for the year when he swept home after fine work down the left, firstly from impressive new addition Christos Tzolis and then Community Shield hero Riccardo Calafiori. Bukayo Saka doubled the advantage shortly thereafter after more impressive industry from Tzolis, before captain Martin Ødegaard sealed all three points just four minutes after the half-time break.
Online betting sites had already made Mikel Arteta’s side the overwhelming favorites to successfully retain the title this term, and their odds were slashed after the Gunners routed Manchester City by three goals to nil in the Community Shield in Cardiff. Now, after a second 3-0 drubbing in six days, the popular Lucky Rebel Sportsbook makes The Gunners the clear even money favorite to claim a second straight title, with City trailing in their wake at 4/1.
Across the last four seasons, Arsenal have awoken from their slumber to become genuine title contenders for the first time since the Highbury glory days. While three of those four campaigns ultimately ended with runners-up finishes, last term, the 22-year wait for the first title since the Invincibles finally came to an end. But how have the Gunners started each of those four title-contending campaigns, and how did those performances compare to 2026/27’s opener against Coventry? Let’s take a look.
2022/23: Martinelli Gets Gunners Off to the Perfect Start
There was quiet optimism surrounding Arsenal heading into the 2022/23 campaign. They had narrowly missed out on a return to the Champions League the previous year after late-season defeats to Newcastle United and rivals Spurs, but it was clear for all to see that manager Mikel Arteta had the club heading in the right direction. The additions of title winners Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City only strengthened that belief, and an opening-day trip across London to face Crystal Palace provided the perfect opportunity to hit the ground running.
Both Zinchenko and Jesus made their debuts, and it was the Ukrainian full-back who was crucial to Arsenal’s opener. It was his flick on that found Gabriel Martinelli unmarked in the box, and the Brazilian duly nodded past Vicente Guaita to hand the visitors a deserved lead. Arteta’s men would hang onto that lead until deep into the second half, when Marc Guehi bundled into his own goal after a delicious delivery from Bukayo Saka.
After the game, Arteta said that his side looked “hungry,” and as the campaign continued, that proved to be the case. Arsenal led the Premier League title race all season long against all odds before a run of three straight draws in April opened the door for Pep Guardiola’s treble-hunting Manchester City. The Blues duly took the Gunners apart at the Etihad in a thumping 4-1 win to secure the title, but the groundwork was clearly in place for a sustained challenge in coming years.
2023/24: Gunners Survive Late Forest Onslaught
In the summer of 2023, Arsenal spent big in the hopes of truly being able to challenge Manchester City. Declan Rice arrived from West Ham for a fee of £105m, Kai Havertz joined from rivals Chelsea for £65m, and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber was snapped up for just shy of £40m. With such a sizable outlay, it was clear that Arteta was determined to compete for silverware, but all of that would count for nothing if the Gunners couldn’t see off the challenge of Nottingham Forest at the Emirates on the opening day.
Arsenal got off to the perfect start when Eddie Nketiah’s stunning curling effort found the top corner after 26 minutes. Six minutes later, Saka doubled the advantage, but throughout the second half it was one-way traffic, and not in the Gunners’ favor. Taiwo Awoniyi pulled a goal back in the 86th minute, and from there, Forest would lay siege to David Raya’s goal, but in the end, Arsenal clung on to the 2-1 win.
Arteta’s side would remain alive in the title race and would put up more of a fight than the previous season. But a late 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa, the club’s only defeat in their final 18 games (winning 16 of them), would cost the Gunners dearly as City once again claimed the title.
2024/25: Wolves No Match for Arteta’s Men
In the summer of 2024, there was a very real sense of “this is our year” after back-to-back near misses. Unfortunately for the Gunners, Liverpool had that same feeling.
Arsenal began the season in perfect fashion by handily dispatching Wolves at the Emirates thanks to strikes from Havertz and Saka. But unfortunately for Arteta’s men, Arne Slot’s Reds had other ideas. Liverpool won 11 of their opening 13 games and simply wouldn’t yield, amassing a huge advantage in the title race that they would never surrender. They finished ten points clear, but Arsenal’s time would come.
2025/26: Gunners Grind Out Old Trafford Win
After 22 years of hurt and after three straight near misses, Arsenal’s time did indeed come, and the campaign started in a fashion that would set the tone for what was to come. The Gunners headed to Old Trafford to face rivals Manchester United in last season’s opener in a true heavyweight clash, and it was the North Londoners who emerged victorious, as Calafiori bundled home from close range from a set piece after just 13 minutes.
It was a lead that the Gunners would never surrender, despite coming under increasing pressure from the Red Devils as the game wore on. The 1-0 victory was symbolic of how Arsenal’s title-winning campaign would play out. Defensively sound, resolute, and bucketloads of resilience. The title was eventually captured on May 19th after Manchester City failed to beat Bournemouth, and now Mikel Arteta is on the hunt to create a true dynasty at the Emirates.