Coventry City boss Frank Lampard says his newly promoted side must treat their season-opening 3-0 defeat to Arsenal as a lesson rather than a setback, insisting the gulf in class shown at the Emirates Stadium will not define their Premier League campaign.

Arsenal made a statement of intent as defending champions, with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Ødegaard all finding the net in a comfortable win that saw the hosts dominate possession and tempo from start to finish.

Coventry, by contrast, struggled to string together meaningful attacks and rarely threatened the Arsenal goal throughout the ninety minutes.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Lampard acknowledged that his players had been given a harsh introduction to life in the top flight but praised their opponents, describing Arsenal’s performance as champion-level football.

He admitted the occasion itself, the crowd, the intensity, and the quality of the opposition would ultimately benefit his squad’s development, even if the scoreline was hard to take.

The former Chelsea and England midfielder was candid about defensive lapses, admitting they had let themselves down defensively, but stressed his players should draw confidence from certain passages of play rather than fixate on the result.

He praised the away support for their backing despite the loss and expressed belief that Coventry would bounce back once they faced sides closer to their level.