Odegaard inspires Arsenal comeback as Chelsea suffer first league defeat
LONDON - Arsenal produced a stirring comeback to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, preserving their perfect start to the Premier League season in a pulsating London derby. Chelsea stunned the home crowd after only 77 seconds when Morgan Rogers met a headed delivery from Jorrel Hato with a superb volley from outside the box that flew into the bottom corner. Arsenal were briefly rattled but responded with increasing authority. The hosts thought they had levelled through Riccardo Calafiori, only for VAR to rule out the effort for offside.
Arsenal continued to press, and their persistence paid off in the 25th minute. Declan Rice found Kai Havertz, who created room before firing past Emiliano Martinez at the near post against his former club. Chelsea almost regained the lead before half-time when Pedro Neto struck the post during stoppage time, sending the sides into the interval level after an entertaining opening 45 minutes. Arsenal needed just five minutes after the restart to complete the turnaround. Christos Tzolis drove forward from the left and delivered a low pass towards Havertz, whose clever dummy allowed the ball to reach Martin Odegaard. The Arsenal captain made no mistake, drilling a left-footed finish into the net to put the champions ahead.
Chelsea responded with renewed attacking intent, but Arsenal’s defence held firm. Substitute Estevao came closest to restoring parity when his curling effort from the edge of the area was brilliantly tipped over by goalkeeper David Raya. Both managers made changes as the contest entered its final stages, with Chelsea throwing players forward in search of an equaliser. Reece James attempted to create openings with late deliveries, but Arsenal resisted the pressure to secure a valuable victory.
Odegaard’s decisive contribution, Havertz’s goal and assist, and Rice’s influence in midfield proved crucial for Mikel Arteta’s side. Rogers remained Chelsea’s brightest attacking outlet after his early opener, while Neto and Palmer offered moments of danger without producing a second goal. The victory gives Arsenal nine points from three matches and strengthens their early title credentials. Chelsea, meanwhile, remain on six points after suffering their first league defeat of the campaign. The result also extended Arsenal’s dominance in the fixture, with Chelsea still unable to beat them in the league since August 2021. For Arteta, the comeback demonstrated his side’s resilience and ability to respond when confronted by an early setback.