playMark Ogden and James OlleyCloseJames OlleySenior Writer, ESPN FCJames Olley is a senior soccer writer for ESPN.com. Read his archive here and follow him on Twitter: @JamesOlley.Multiple AuthorsSep 6, 2026, 03:08 PM ETOpen Extended ReactionsLONDON — Martin Ødegaard’s 50th-minute strike ensured Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.Morgan Rogers — who signed for Chelsea in a £117 million deal after repeated links with a move to Arsenal — struck inside 77 seconds to put the visitors in front, but Kai Havertz equalized with a low drive in the 25th minute that snuck inside Emiliano Martínez’s near post.The game barely slowed from a relentless pass as Arsenal dominated possession, but Chelsea counterattacked with speed and purpose.Pedro Neto hit the post on the stroke of halftime, but Ødegaard made the decisive contribution as Christos Tzolis passed infield from the left, Havertz dummied the ball brilliantly and the Arsenal captain was free to smash home the winner.Chelsea mustered little in search of an equalizer before David Raya was forced into a fine late save from substitute Estêvão. But Arsenal hung on, condemning Xabi Alonso to his first defeat as Blues boss.Arsenal join Manchester City as the only two sides to take maximum points from their first three league games. — James OlleyRogers haunts Arsenal, but Havertz has the last laughArsenal pursued a deal for Rogers for much of the summer but never believed he was worth £117 million. Chelsea did.
After 77 seconds here, the Blues looked like they had made the right call as Rogers fired the visitors ahead.There are so many links between these two sides nowadays — Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is ex-Arsenal, winger Noni Madueke left Stamford Bridge to join Arsenal, and Declan Rice was released by the Blues as a teenager. But it was Havertz who made the most telling impact, just over three years on from his £67.5 million move across London.play0:34Arteta backs Arsenal’s transfer window: ‘I love my players’His goal owed something to poor goalkeeping from Martinez, but it was still reward for his ingenuity, and the Germany international’s dummy gave Ødegaard the space and time to fire home Arsenal’s crucial second goal. Havertz’s deft flick midway through the second half almost led to another as Bukayo Saka’s subsequent shot was brilliant turned behind by Martinez.Havertz might never have entirely convinced as a center forward — which is partly why Chelsea were willing to move him out and Arsenal signed Viktor Gyökeres last summer — but this was a reminder of the class he is capable of, especially given that he might not have been playing at all had the Gunners signed the striker they craved this summer. — OlleyChelsea are back, but they’re still weak at the backDon’t be fooled by this result — Chelsea are back among the Premier League title contenders, but they have to get better in defense to push Arsenal all the way.Having finished 10th last season, 33 points behind the Gunners, Chelsea have done a remarkable job in the summer to put themselves back in the title mix. They have appointed a top-class manager in Xabi Alonso and recruited well with goalkeeper Martinez, defender Maxence Lacroix and forward Rogers.But Martinez and Lacroix both had an off day at the Emirates as Chelsea’s defensive frailties once again highlighted their big weakness.
They have conceded seven goals in three league games this season, and that is way too many for a team with title ambitions.play1:46Leboeuf concerned over ‘fragile’ Chelsea defenseArsenal conceded just 27 goals in 38 league games on their way to the title last season, and Liverpool shipped 41 when winning the league 12 months earlier — the highest figure since Manchester United were last crowned champions in 2013 after giving up 43. Champions usually concede fewer than a goal a game, so Chelsea are totally off course right now by letting them in at a rate of more than two a game.The task for Alonso is clear — tighten up at the back to make sure Chelsea push for the title. — Mark OgdenArsenal fire title warning, extend dominance over ChelseaWhen Rogers signed with Chelsea, he declared he was joining the biggest team in London. Arsenal, the current Premier League champions, can currently argue otherwise and point to a run that now extends to 10 unbeaten league games against Chelsea.There was a time when the Blues used to dominate Arsenal physically — and possibly psychologically, with ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger having to fend off questions about a mental block against their London rivals. How times change.This was also a meeting of two sides with a 100% record from their opening two games, and many believe Chelsea could push Arsenal the closest this season given an absence of European football and Alonso’s encouraging early returns.
But the Gunners were full value for their win — even if they needed David Raya to pull off a fine save from substitute Estevao at the death to hold on — as they produced another reminder that they are the team to beat this season. — OlleyAlonso must solve Chelsea’s midfield puzzleChelsea were without their first-choice midfield at the Emirates — primarily because Enzo Fernández was offloaded in a £125 million transfer to Manchester City on deadline day but also because of an injury to Moisés Caicedo.In their absence, Xabi Alonso paired Reece James with Romeo Lavia, but even when Caicedo returns to fitness, the Chelsea manager has a puzzle to solve before settling on his best midfield two.James is outstanding in midfield, but the Chelsea captain is even better at right back, so it is likely that he will return to that position when Alonso has a full quota of midfield options. Lavia would be the most obvious partner for Caicedo, but the Belgium international has had such an injury-hit time at Chelsea that the 22-year-old cannot yet be relied upon to be a first-choice starter.After those two, there is England veteran Jordan Henderson, now 36, who is still sidelined with the broken wrist suffered when falling over an advertising board at the World Cup. Valentín Barco is the other possible solution, but the Argentina midfielder has no Premier League experience having arrived from Strasbourg this summer, so again, he would be a gamble for Alonso.Chelsea’s plan was to replace Enzo with Monaco’s Lamine Camara, but a deal for the Senegal international collapsed late on deadline day. They will almost certainly sign another midfielder when the window reopens in January, but until then, Alonso has to get his midfield working despite not having an obvious answer to the problem. — OgdenØdegaard’s carbon-copy goal points to evolving ArsenalArsenal’s set piece prowess is well documented to the extent that they have been criticized for an overreliance on dead ball situations to win tight games.
It is still early in the season, but Arteta will be encouraged by the sight of his coaching coming to the fore in open play.Ødegaard’s winner here was almost an exact replica of the goal he scored in last month’s Community Shield win over Manchester City. Tzolis played a simple ball in from the left flank that Havertz dummied, completely flummoxing Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana in the process. Ødegaard arrived with impeccable timing, and the only major difference was that rather than rolling the ball into the net, as he did against City, he thrashed a shot past Martinez. — Olley
