Arsenal showed their championship mettle once again on Sunday, coming from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium. The win maintains Mikel Arteta’s side’s perfect start to the Premier League season. It keeps them level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.
Chelsea, managed by former Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, got off to a dream start. Just 77 seconds into the match, England international Morgan Rogers found the back of the net with a blistering right-footed volley. That shot left Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya with no chance. It was a stunning blow to the home crowd and set an unexpected tone for the game.
Despite the early setback, Arsenal didn't panic. They pushed for an equaliser. Though they thought they had found it through Riccardo Calafiori following a goalmouth scramble, VAR intervened. The Italian’s effort was ruled out after Ezri Konsa, who had his shot hit the post before Calafiori scored, was deemed offside.
The pressure eventually paid off in the 25th minute. Kai Havertz, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea in 2022, cut in from the right flank. He unleashed a low left-footed shot that found the corner of the net, levelling the score.
Shortly after halftime, Arsenal completed their comeback. A well-worked move saw Christos Tzolis play a ball that was cleverly dummied by Havertz. This allowed captain Martin Ødegaard to fire high into the net. The Norwegian’s goal put the Gunners ahead and ultimately proved to be the winning strike.
Chelsea didn't roll over, though. They searched for an equaliser and came close. Winger Estêvão Brazilian put Raya to the test. However, the Arsenal goalkeeper was alert and made a crucial save to preserve his team’s lead.
After the match, Xabi Alonso, who took over as Chelsea manager in 2025, acknowledged the difficulty of facing Arsenal. "They are hard to beat, they are hard to create chances (against), but we had three or four chances to score more than one goal," he stated. Alonso, however, maintained that his side is still in a developmental phase. He said, "This is a process. It’s still early days for us." He expressed disappointment with the result but urged his team to remain calm and continue their work.
Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard praised his team's resilience in the face of adversity. "It was a big game, massive game, tough opponent and we got there in the end so brilliant," he said. "Our mentality is to keep fighting. We have shown that many times. We never want to concede early but the reaction is top."
This victory keeps Arsenal on maximum points from their opening three league fixtures. Chelsea remain on six points. It marks the first Premier League defeat for Alonso's Chelsea side since he took the helm. However, the manager stressed that the team remains committed to improvement. The journey for Chelsea this season is still long. Alonso believes this setback won't derail their progress if they keep their focus.