Arsenal vs Coventry: Complete head-to-head record ahead of Premier League opener
Arsenal's Premier League title defence is about to begin. On Friday night, the Gunners will welcome EFL Championship champions Coventry City to North London for, what promises to be, a raucous night at the Emirates.
However, considering it is a quarter of a century since the Sky Blues were last a top-flight club, the duo have met very infrequently in recent years. So, we will dive into the previous head-to-head record between the two clubs.
Since Coventry City's relegation from the Premier League in 2001, they have only taken on the Gunners twice. The first was a third round League Cup tie in 2012, a match Arsène Wenger's side very easily won 6-1; at the time, Mark Robins' side were in League One. That night, Theo Walcott netted twice, while Olivier Giroud, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andrey Arshavin and youngster Ignasi Miquel were the other scorers.
The pair would then meet again in the fourth round of the FA Cup 16 months later. Following wins over AFC Wimbledon, Hartlepool United and Barnsley, Coventry were rewarded with a glamour tie away at Arsenal. Well, the 5,100 fans who travelled to London on a Friday night saw their side smashed 4-0. Łukas Podolski bagged a first half brace, before Giroud and Santi Cazorla were on target late on.
That season, Arsenal went on to win the FA Cup, their first trophy in nine years, with the win over Coventry part of that memorable run.
Fans of a certain vintage will believe that Coventry City are back in their rightful place as a top-flight club. Between 1967 and 2001, the Sky Blues enjoyed 34 consecutive campaigns in the First Division, before being relegated under Gordon Strachan.
They were then forced to ground share with both Northampton and Birmingham while, between 1970 and 2018, did not finish in the top six of any division. Their fans have had to endure a lot. This all means they have met Arsenal 76 times, with the Gunners only facing 25 clubs more frequently.
Arsenal have won each of their last five encounters with the Sky Blues, scoring 16 goals. When last we saw them in the Premier League, Arsenal narrowly beat Coventry both times, prevailing 2-1 at Highbury and then 1-0 at Highfield Road, with Dennis Bergkamp the only scorer.
Overall, Coventry have won only one of their last 17 encounters, a 3-2 victory in the West Midlands on Boxing Day 1999. Freddie Ljungberg and Davor Šuker netted in vain for the visitors, with Robbie Keane the match-winner. Cov fans will be hoping to celebrate like it is 1999 come Friday night.
In a good omen for Frank Lampard and his team, the Sky Blues' most-recent away win over Arsenal also came on the opening day. Back in August 1993, a hat-trick by Micky Quinn saw them demolish George Graham's team 3-0 at Highbury. This remains one of only two victories they have enjoyed in North London in 20 attemps, dating back to 1983.
On the flip side, Arsenal have won each of their last seven home games against Coventry, scoring 20 goals and conceding only two. Following their dominant display in the FA Community Shield, dismantling Manchester City 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Mikel Arteta's team are firm favourites to start the new season with three points.
Their next four fixtures look particularly tough, facing Aston Villa, Chelsea, Sunderland and then Brighton, so can ill afford a false start on Friday.
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