Arsenal produced an impressive comeback at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, beating Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling London derby and maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season.
Chelsea made a sensational start when Morgan Rogers fired the visitors ahead after just 77 seconds. Arsenal responded strongly, with Kai Havertz equalising in the 25th minute.
The Gunners completed the turnaround five minutes after half-time when captain Martin Ødegaard finished a clever move involving Havertz to make it 2-1.
Arsenal defended their advantage during a tense closing period, with goalkeeper David Raya making an important late save to deny Chelsea an equaliser.
After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s performance and highlighted Odegaard’s contribution.
“I think he is enjoying his football. His personal life is settled, he is available, he is training, he has his routine and, if he is intelligent, he can take a lot of benefits from the players around him.” — Mikel Arteta
Arteta described the overall display as “exceptional” and said he believes his team can reach an even higher level this season. (
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, meanwhile, admitted the defeat hurt but remained positive about his team’s prospects.
“It hurts. It hurts because a defeat has to hurt. It has been a very intense game with different moments.” — Xabi Alonso
Alonso added that Chelsea had chances to equalise and insisted his players gave everything during the match.
The victory gives Arsenal three wins from three Premier League games and keeps them alongside Manchester City at the top of the table. Chelsea, despite the defeat, showed attacking promise but will need to improve defensively if they are to challenge for the title.
For Arsenal, the comeback was another statement of their resilience and championship ambition.