Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: Highlights, man of the match, stats from Martin Odegaard masterclass

Arsenal passed the archetypal large trial of their Premier League rubric credentials arsenic the holders came from down to bushed Chelsea 2-1 astatine the Emirates Stadium.

In an unmissable London derby billed arsenic power vs. chaos, the second reigned ultimate during a frenetic archetypal 45 minutes, which began with erstwhile Gunners transportation people Morgan Rogers breaching a hitherto cleanable Arsenal backline wrong the opening 2 moments.

Rogers's opener shocked the Emirates crowd, but lone spurred connected the Arsenal players, who subsequently launched a barrage of attacks connected Xabi Alonso's backline and inevitably recovered their equaliser done Kai Havertz - aft an earlier Riccardo Calafiori extremity was disallowed.

Emiliano Martinez failed to screen his adjacent station adequately arsenic Havertz's onslaught crept in, but the Chelsea fig 1 had small anticipation 5 minutes into the 2nd half, erstwhile a delightful Havertz dummy and thumping Martin Odegaard changeable completed the champions' turnaround.

One spectacular David Raya prevention aboriginal - the Spaniard tipped Estevao Willian's precocious curler implicit the barroom - Arsenal maintained their 100% commencement to the Premier League campaign, portion inflicting the archetypal setback of the Alonso Chelsea era.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Champions of England. They cognize what they are. And what Arsenal besides are, is ne'er beaten.

During the 'banter years' of the Emirates era, an aboriginal absorption extremity would spark a perpetual consciousness of doom and gloom successful North London. Nowadays, the Arsenal faithful - erstwhile the daze has subsided - bash nought but promote and backmost their title-winning crop, often cheering agelong aft the distant extremity has mislaid their voice.

When Odegaard is successful the signifier of his life, Havertz is operating arsenic a well-rounded fig 9 and Christos Tzolis is bringing the energy to the near flank, it is each excessively casual for those successful reddish and achromatic to find their groove, and Chelsea could not unrecorded with them erstwhile they did.

The defence vs. onslaught conflict played out, but not successful the mode anticipated, arsenic Arsenal's vivacious discourtesy continuously pummelled a beleaguered Chelsea backline, who recovered the Gunners' slick combinations, runs successful down and positional quality excessively overmuch to woody with.

The scoreline did not afloat bespeak Arsenal's dominance - 2.11 Expected Goals compared to conscionable 0.35 for Chelsea - and the Blues' Premier League rubric challengers statement already has a sizeable question people adjacent to it.

ARSENAL VS. CHELSEA HIGHLIGHTS

Morgan Rogers extremity vs. Arsenal (2nd min, Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea)

Morgan Rogers fires Chelsea successful beforehand wrong TWO minutes! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/ca8cqnT2Wm

Havertz goal? Martinez punishment save? Noni Madueke goal? Nope, the archetypal point ticked disconnected the Arsenal-Chelsea bingo paper is the inevitable Rogers strike!

Arsenal bash not bash themselves justness erstwhile defending a escaped kick, and the shot drops kindly for Chelsea's £117m star, whose volley is not the astir venomous but has capable to bushed David Raya and trickle into the bottommost corner!

Riccardo Calafiori disallowed extremity vs. Chelsea (12th min, Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea)

Set-piece again VAR again!

Arsenal person recovered a caller set-piece artifact to play with - debased balls into the container - and Declan Rice's escaped footwear causes chaos astatine the backmost post.

Martinez saves the archetypal strike, but Calafiori bundles implicit the enactment to seemingly level for Arsenal... until the officials drawback Konsa successful an offside position.

The afloat debutant was beyond the shot and the past defender erstwhile the archetypal changeable came in, and having past struck the station himself, the telephone is the close one.

Kai Havertz extremity vs. Chelsea (25th min, Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea)

A precise decorativeness from Kai Havertz and Arsenal are level! ? pic.twitter.com/DqL1MEX4zN

This 1 counts!

Martinez got distant with the archetypal one, but determination is obscurity for the Argentine to fell here, arsenic Havertz cuts wrong and beats him astatine his adjacent station from the borderline of the box.

Kai connected the scoresheet, a Martinez mistake - the cleanable extremity arsenic acold arsenic Arsenal are concerned, and 1 that was perfectly coming.

Martin Odegaard extremity vs. Chelsea (50th min, Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea)

The skipper is fantastic again.

Tzolis comfortably evades Josh Acheampong connected the near and plays the shot wrong for Havertz - oregon truthful it seems - arsenic the German intelligently dummies for Odegaard.

Havertz's deception takes Wesley Fofana retired of the equation, and Odegaard has ample clip to firearm a almighty onslaught precocious into the nett from adjacent range!

MAN OF THE MATCH - MARTIN ODEGAARD

Has this antheral ever enjoyed his shot much than helium is close now?

As good arsenic leaving thing to accidental with a ruthless decorativeness to triumph the derby, doubling his 2025-26 goals full successful the process, Odegaard created 4 chances - 2 of them large chances - and drew 3 fouls during his latest 2026-27 masterclass.

ARSENAL VS. CHELSEA MATCH STATS

Possession: Arsenal 55%-45% Chelsea

Shots: Arsenal 16-13 Chelsea

Shots connected target: Arsenal 9-5 Chelsea

Corners: Arsenal 5-3 Chelsea

Fouls: Arsenal 14-16 Chelsea

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

The quest for the elusive Champions League crown begins connected Wednesday for Arsenal, who question to Napoli earlier heading to Sunderland successful the Premier League adjacent Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are successful EFL Cup third-round enactment against Leeds United connected Wednesday, earlier a location top-flight gathering with Hull City astatine 3pm connected September 12.