The first heavyweight encounter of the Premier League season was previewed in some quarters as the immovable object versus the irresistible force. Arsenal do not give an inch. Chelsea have been fun and free-scoring under Xabi Alonso. Yet that overlooked something pretty fundamental. The percussive force of Arsenal’s game when they have the ball and want to make something happen.
Chelsea landed a significant blow after 77 seconds when Morgan Rogers put them in front with nicely executed volley from the edge of the area. It was not only the first goal that Arsenal have conceded this season but one with rich narrative strands. Rogers was chased by Arsenal over the summer only to join Chelsea for £117m.
The story here was about Arsenal’s reaction. The sheer fury of it. For a blistering spell that culminated in Kai Havertz’s equaliser on 25 minutes, they threatened to blow Chelsea off the pitch. Arsenal’s confidence shone through. They had not lost to their cross-town rivals in eleven previous meetings in all competitions, winning eight, but it was rooted in more than that. They had too much for Chelsea and they knew it.
Martin Ødegaard’s goal shortly after half-time proved the difference – it followed a stunning feint by Havertz – and it continued Arsenal’s perfect start to their title defence. It is now three wins out of three. They will take some stopping. Then again, everybody already knows this.
It was possible to feel a blast from the past as Alonso lined up with three central defenders. Almost exactly ten years ago, Antonio Conte brought Chelsea here and trailed 3-0 at half-time. Cue the manager’s switch to three at the back, a click and a bolt towards the title. This was the acid test for Alonso and his team could not have made a better start. They had scored very early in Alonso’s first two league matches against Fulham and Brighton and it was the same again.
Arsenal offered £80m to Aston Villa for Rogers but no more. Chelsea went higher, much higher and there was an inevitability about him showing up when it mattered. Arsenal did not clear their lines after a Reece James free-kick and when Jorrel Hato outjumped Ødegaard, the ball broke nicely for Rogers. The volley was threaded into the bottom corner. Could David Raya have done better? It felt that way in the moment.
Arsenal’s response was just ferocious. It was the intensity and the physical levels. The Emirates sounded like a bear-pit as the home crowd yelled after what felt like every coming together, every time an Arsenal player tumbled over. The equaliser was extensively trailed and it came when Havertz was allowed to drift along the edge of the Chelsea area from right to left. There was no challenge and his low shot beat Emiliano Martínez inside the near post.
It was a soft concession and out of keeping with the resilience that Chelsea had shown up to that point. Especially Martinez. The former Arsenal goalkeeper had thrown himself into a thicket of legs to keep out a low Ødegaard free-kick delivery, taking a boot to the head by Gabriel Magalhães for his troubles. He also saved brilliantly from the Arsenal centre-half shortly afterwards, keeping him out at close quarters after João Pedro had failed to clear a Declan Rice free-kick. On the rebound, Ezri Konsa hit the post before Riccardo Calafiori lashed the loose ball home. Konsa was found to have been offside and the goal was disallowed.
Arsenal created a staggering number of openings before the Havertz goal. Chelsea put their bodies on the line. Martínez got his angles right to deny Bukayo Saka; Wesley Fofana made a big block to thwart Havertz. After James had worked Raya from distance, Arsenal stormed to the other end and Hato leapt into a saving block on Ødegaard.
It was breathless stuff and it was as if Arsenal exhaled after the equaliser. This kind of tempo is surely unsustainable. Chelsea kicked out a foothold. Rogers curled past the far post and there was the crucial moment just before the interval when João Pedro got Pedro Neto away up the right. He cut inside and steered a low shot against the far post.
Arsenal cleared their heads for the second-half and they were in front almost immediately. Ødegaard started and finished the move but it was all about the dummy from Havertz, who knew where his captain was when Christos Tzolis sent over a low ball from the left. Havertz’s move froze Fofana and Ødegaard had the freedom of the Chelsea area to finish. A couple of words about Tzolis: very polished.
Arsenal were not afraid to go long and fast from back to front through Raya; the challenges were numerous for Chelsea. They looked to their big guns to mount the fightback. Rogers almost got away only to be halted by a thunderous Konsa slide challenge. Cole Palmer flitted around the edges. He had a couple of half chances.
Saka forced Martínez into a fine save after a lovely touch from Havertz and Arsenal almost scored again from a corner, Martínez grabbing a loose ball when he was already on the ground. Chelsea pushed in the closing stages and they could point to the moment on 89 minutes when Estêvão, on as a substitute, exploded a drive from the edge of the area and watched Raya tip over. Arsenal did not deserve to drop points.
