Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard scoring either side of half-time after Morgan Rogers had shocked the hosts inside the opening two minutes. The result keeps Mikel Arteta's side unbeaten at home and hands Xabi Alonso his first defeat since taking charge of Chelsea.
Match Summary
| Fixture | Score | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal v Chelsea | 2-1 | Premier League, MD3 | Emirates Stadium |
Goals
- 0-1 Morgan Rogers 2'
- 1-1 Kai Havertz 25'
- 2-1 Martin Odegaard 50'
How It Happened
Chelsea could not have dreamed of a better start, Morgan Rogers turning home an early chance inside the first two minutes to silence the home crowd and put Arsenal on the back foot. The visitors continued to look dangerous through Pedro Neto, who twice threatened down the right before striking the post deep into first-half stoppage time — a let-off that proved costly.
Arsenal levelled shortly before that scare, Kai Havertz converting on 25 minutes after good build-up play through midfield to make it 1-1 at the break. The turnaround was completed early in the second half: Christos Tzolis drove infield from the left and slid a pass to Havertz, whose touch dragged Chelsea's back line out of position and opened a lane for Martin Odegaard to run in behind and finish clinically for 2-1 in the 50th minute.
Chelsea pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages without seriously testing David Raya again, and Arsenal held firm to see out a fourth win from their opening three-plus fixtures of the season.
Susunan Pemain (Lineups)
Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
Raya; White, Gabriel, Calafiori, Konsa; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz.
Coach: Mikel Arteta
Substitutes: Arrizabalaga (GK), Hincapie, Eze, Gyokeres, Madueke, Merino, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Dowman.
Chelsea (3-4-2-1)
Martinez; Acheampong, Fofana, Lacroix; Neto, James, Lavia, Hato; Palmer, Rogers; Pedro.
Coach: Xabi Alonso
Substitutes: Penders (GK), Colwill, Gusto, Chavarria, Barco, Quenda, Gittens, Estevao, Welbeck.
Talking Points
- Kai Havertz was involved in both of Arsenal's goals — scoring the equaliser and then creating the winner — continuing his strong start to the season.
- Pedro Neto's stoppage-time post could prove a pivotal moment in hindsight; a 2-0 half-time lead for Chelsea would have changed the complexion of the second half entirely.
- It's a first Premier League defeat for Xabi Alonso since taking over at Stamford Bridge, while Arteta's side remain unbeaten at the Emirates.
Up next: both sides return to European action in midweek before the next round of Premier League fixtures.
Match report compiled from post-match coverage. Lineups and timings correct at the time of writing and may be revised once official post-match data is confirmed.