The Full Time Report - Episode 108: Arsenal start fast, Baleba waits, and the window turns
Arsenal have started their Premier League title defence with a three-nil win, and for a Friday night opener it was almost suspiciously tidy.
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The Full Time Report - Episode 108: Arsenal start fast, Baleba waits, and the window turns
Episode guide
Arsenal have started the Premier League season exactly as the champions would have wanted: a 3-0 win over Coventry, three different scorers, and a new signing who immediately looked at home. The result was comfortable, but the more useful question is what the opening night tells us about the season around it.
This episode follows that question into the transfer window. Ezri Konsa is now officially an Arsenal player. Carlos Baleba is close to Manchester United but still has a medical to pass. Curtis Jones has actually left Liverpool for Inter. And around all of that, managers are trying to explain how much of their squad is ready, unsettled or still waiting for another deal.
In this episode
- Arsenal 3-0 Coventry: Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard scored as Arsenal made a dominant start to their title defence. Christos Tzolis created the second goal on his Premier League debut. 12
- The European check: The 21 August scores page listed no new Champions League or Europa League result in this window, so the episode keeps the focus on the Premier League opener and the transfer stories that changed overnight. 3
- Transfer status: Arsenal completed the £55m signing of Ezri Konsa; Manchester United agreed a reported £65m-plus-add-ons deal for Carlos Baleba, subject to a medical; and Inter signed Curtis Jones from Liverpool on a deal through June 2031. 456
- Liverpool and the rest of the window: Andoni Iraola says Liverpool still need wide players but can compete now; Ollie Watkins remains in a live Al Hilal conversation; and Roberto De Zerbi has defended Tottenham's aggressive rebuild before their opener. 789
The episode uses reporting published or matches played on 21 August 2026, before the Saturday fixtures had kicked off.
References
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- 9The Guardian: De Zerbi defends Spurs transfer spree
theguardian.com
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