Arsenal will begin their title-defending campaign against Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.
For one player in particular, the 2026/27 Premier League fixture list could hardly have started better.
Viktor Gyokeres spent two-and-a-half seasons at Coventry, where he was their top scorer in both the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns
It was at Highfield Road that he truly began to make a name for himself, scoring 43 goals, before a move to Sporting CP turned him into one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe.
Give us your reaction as Arsenal’s fixture list is released
Now, after a debut season in north London where he scored 21 goals across all competitions, Gyokeres will reunite with his old club on the opening weekend.
This is exactly the kind of game Viktor Gyokeres feasts on
Last season, Gyokeres scored six goals in games against the three newly promoted sides, and 11 of his 14 Premier League goals came against teams that finished in the bottom half of the table.
He found form quickly in home games too — a brace against Leeds in his first game at the Emirates, followed by another goal against Nottingham Forest the following home game, before his form dipped.
Kai Havertz may well be Arsenal’s first-choice option through the middle next season, but his injury history over the past 18 months is a concern.
Besides, he may need time to adjust after a potentially longer World Cup campaign with Germany — though Sweden have got off to a flying start themselves.
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So Mikel Arteta may well opt for Gyokeres to begin with, and the Coventry opener is exactly the kind of fixture he needs to get his season off full of confidence.
Arsenal need Viktor Gyokeres firing next season
Some are still not convinced Gyokeres is the long-term answer up front for Arsenal.
There are flaws in his game, particularly on a technical level when compared to Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and even Mikel Merino.
The numbers back that up too. His dribble success rate was the worst of any Arsenal player last season.
But whatever the questions about his all-round game, you cannot doubt his mentality.
Only Martin Zubimendi played more games for Arsenal last season than Gyokeres’ 55 appearances, with the Swede required to shoulder an enormous workload as injuries ravaged the other striker options.
He worked relentlessly, pressed without complaint, and ultimately delivered in front of goal.
Arteta remains a firm admirer, with no real appetite to sell despite mild speculation, and Gyokeres now has three consecutive league titles to his name.
A trip down memory lane against Coventry feels like the perfect place to start making that a fourth.
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