Frank Lampard believes Arsenal demonstrated exactly why they are the Premier League champions after Coventry City's 3-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night. Arsenal began their new Premier League season in impressive fashion, with goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard securing the victory over Lampard's side.
Coventry, who won the Championship by an 11-point margin last season, were unable to threaten Arsenal in their Premier League return and managed just one shot on target. Lampard admitted his players struggled to cope with Arsenal's defensive organisation and said he felt the 'physicality' from Mikel Arteta's side from the touchline.
Lampard's assessment of Arsenal's strength
'They have a bit of everything, they're very good off the ball, the best out of possession team in the league last year, all the data backs it up, they close down all your passing angles very, very quickly, we've not been exposed to that as a team,' Lampard said after the defeat.
'As they play you can feel it on the side of the pitch there's a high technical level, a physicality about them, a great way of playing. It's very, very hard to high press this team because they'll play through you and rip through you.
'So we decided we wanted to be more in the middle of the pitch, and I thought we did some work really, really well to delay and work the sides, and then they just need a few moments to hurt you. A very, all round strong unit they've built.'
Coventry's Premier League reality check
In a separate interview with Coventry's club media channel, Lampard insisted that plenty of teams will struggle away to Arsenal this season. 'If there's acclimatisation to the Premier League there it is tonight, that's the top level of what it is tonight,' Lampard said.
'But it's fine, I'm fine with the boys, a lot of teams will come here and not win the game, and when you go one and two down it's difficult and when you concede a third early in the second half it's difficult.'
'It's a clear step up, we know that, across the league but Arsenal are the best at it, they proved it last year and we felt that tonight. Sometimes you respect the opposition and say that.'
The defeat served as a stark reminder of the gap between the Championship and the Premier League, with Coventry unable to register a single shot on target until late in the game. Arsenal's dominance was reflected in the statistics, as they controlled possession and created numerous chances throughout the match.
For Coventry, the focus now shifts to their upcoming fixtures as they look to adapt to the demands of top-flight football. Lampard's side will need to quickly learn from this experience as they face a series of challenging matches in the coming weeks.
