Arsenal recovered from the concession of an early goal to beat Chelsea at the Emirates for a fifth successive season. In what was arguably one of the games of the nascent season so far, they showed the resolve of champions and not a little swagger in attack.
The club had come under heavy criticism from sections of its own fan base for failing to add an elite attacker during the transfer window, despite being linked with a host of big names.
But on the evidence of this display, Mikel Arteta has plenty of weapons at his disposal, and they remain most people’s favourites to retain their Premier League title.
Team news
The Gunners made one change from the side that had started last time out at Villa Park. Cristian Mosquera was ruled out with a thigh injury, and Ezra Konsa came in to make his full home debut. Bruno Guimarães, meanwhile, was only fit enough for a place on the bench.
Rogers stuns the home crowd
Chelsea, who under Xabi Alonso had made a bright start to the season, were quick out of the blocks. A Reece James free-kick into the Arsenal box was not cleared properly, and the ball fell to Morgan Rogers on the edge of the area. His low right-footed volley found the bottom corner, although David Raya appeared to see it late.
It would have escaped the attention of few people that Rogers was one of those players linked with Arsenal before Chelsea effectively gazumped them.
A strong response
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Far from unsettling Arsenal, the goal appeared to stir them into life. The home side raised the tempo, pressed Chelsea aggressively, and repeatedly forced mistakes around the visiting penalty area.
Within minutes, a low Martin Ødegaard free-kick caused chaos in the six-yard box. Emiliano Martínez threw himself at the loose ball and was accidentally caught in the face by Gabriel as the defender attempted to reach it.
Martínez recovered and soon made an excellent close-range save from Gabriel after João Pedro had failed to clear another Arsenal free-kick. Konsa struck the post from the rebound, and Riccardo Calafiori poked home the loose ball. Arsenal’s celebrations were cut short when VAR ruled that Konsa had been offside during the move.
That did little to halt the waves of pressure, and Martínez also denied Bukayo Saka.
When the equaliser did come, it was through former Chelsea man Kai Havertz. He picked the ball up on the right-hand side of the penalty area, was allowed to continue his run, and then drove a low shot which beat Martínez at his near post. It was his fourth goal in seven appearances against his old club.
Arsenal more than deserved to be level, but Chelsea continued to threaten on the break. Rogers curled one effort narrowly wide, and then Pedro Neto cut in from the right wing and curled his effort beyond Raya but onto the post.
The Ødegaard winner
The turnaround was completed five minutes after half-time, and the goal was good enough to win any match because of the way it was constructed.
The Gunners won the ball in midfield and played it out to Christos Tzolis on the left, who advanced before playing a low ball towards Havertz. Rather than controlling it, the German stepped over the ball, and his dummy wrong-footed the Chelsea defence, none of whom had tracked Ødegaard’s run.
His finish was decisive, and a player who managed just one goal in 36 appearances last season has now scored three in four games this campaign.
The record books will show that Tzolis provided the assist, but the Greek and the millions watching the match know it really belonged to Havertz.
Chelsea improve but not enough
Chelsea enjoyed their best period after falling behind. Cole Palmer forced a comfortable save from Raya, while the Arsenal goalkeeper also came quickly from his line to prevent Josh Acheampong from reaching João Pedro’s through-ball.
But whilst Alonso’s side gained more possession, much of it was played in front of Arsenal’s organised defence. Arteta reinforced his midfield, and they dropped into a familiar 4–4–2 formation.
The contest, which had been fiercely contested, also acquired an edge. Konsa made himself an instant Emirates hero with a last-ditch tackle on Rogers, the pair having been former Villa team-mates.
Rogers then became embroiled in an argument with Declan Rice, who appeared to deliberately trip the Chelsea player off the ball during a counterattack. The referee missed the original offence, and Rogers was booked for angrily pushing Rice.
Although it would not have been deserved on the balance of play, Chelsea almost snatched a point at the end. Substitute Estêvão cut in from the right and struck a rising left-footed effort from the edge of the area which was goalbound until Raya, reacting superbly, sprang to his right and tipped the ball over the crossbar with his left hand.
Key takeaways
Chelsea showed enough attacking quality to suggest they will have a much better season under Alonso, but defensive issues continue to dog them. They have now gone 19 league games without keeping a clean sheet.
But Arsenal will take heart from the conviction of their response after conceding that early goal. They know that, as champions, they are there to be shot at this season, but the early evidence suggests that they are up for the challenge and that the hunger remains undiminished.
Andy is a sports author whose writing explores the games, teams, rivalries, personalities, and stories that have shaped the sporting imagination. He has published three non-fiction sports books covering football, Formula One, and the wider stories behind some of sport’s most compelling rivalries.
His latest book, Football and War, examines the relationship between international football and the political and historical tensions that can lie beneath the surface of the game. It explores how football rivalries between nations are often shaped by events and conflicts that extend far beyond the pitch.