**_LONDON_**: Arsenal maintained their flawless start to the 2026–27 Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Chelsea.
The Gunners showed immense character to overcome an early setback, solidifying their position at the summit of the table alongside Manchester City with three wins from three matches.
The match set off to an explosive start when Chelsea stunned the home crowd in the second minute. Morgan Rogers pounced on an early defensive opening to slot home, giving the visitors a dream start and placing Mikel Arteta’s side under immediate pressure.
Chelsea looked sharp in the opening exchanges, but Arsenal gradually settled into their rhythm and controlled the tempo.
Arsenal’s persistence paid off in the 25th minute. Former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz proved to be the central catalyst for the Gunners’ attack, bringing the match level with a composed finish following a period of sustained pressure. Havertz’s goal shifted the momentum entirely, sending the teams into the break deadlocked at 1-1.
Arsenal carried that energy into the second half and wasted no time completing the turnaround. Just five minutes after the restart, club captain Martin Odegaard produced a moment of magic, beating Emiliano Martínez in the 50th minute to make it 2-1.
Chelsea pushed forward in search of an equaliser late in the half, making several attacking substitutions. However, Arsenal’s backline held firm through five chaotic minutes of stoppage time to secure all three points and hand Chelsea their first league defeat of the season.
In Sunday’s earlier kickoff, Everton and Manchester United battled to an entertaining 2-2 draw at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Toffees continued their unbeaten run to the season thanks to a dramatic 96th-minute equalizer from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, denying Manchester United what appeared to be a hard-earned victory on the road. The result leaves Manchester United on four points from their opening three games, while Everton remain steady in the upper half of the table after another resilient display.
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