Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: Five things we learned as Havertz and Odegaard complete stunning comeback as Gunners maintain perfect start

Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the first heavyweight Premier League meeting of the season, maintaining their perfect start under Mikel Arteta.

Morgan Rogers struck after just 77 seconds for Xabi Alonso’s visitors, but Arsenal responded through Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard to secure a third consecutive league victory.

The result keeps Arsenal alongside Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, while Chelsea leave north London with plenty of attacking encouragement but a reminder of the defensive work still required.

Here are five things we learned from Arsenal’s performance.

Arsenal’s response to going behind was emphatic

Arsenal faced their biggest test almost immediately.

Rogers’ volley from the edge of the box punished a poor clearance following a Reece James free-kick and gave Chelsea an early lead. It was also a goal loaded with context, given Arsenal had pursued Rogers during the summer before Chelsea ultimately signed him for £117 million.

Rather than allowing the setback to disrupt their rhythm, Arsenal responded with remarkable intensity.

For a prolonged spell, Arteta’s side attacked with speed, aggression and purpose. The Emirates became increasingly hostile as Arsenal repeatedly won challenges and pushed Chelsea backwards.

The equaliser arrived after 25 minutes, with Havertz allowed to carry the ball across the edge of the area before finding the bottom corner.

It was a relatively soft goal for Chelsea to concede, but it reflected Arsenal’s pressure.

Kai Havertz’s influence went far beyond his goal

Havertz was arguably the most influential attacking player on the pitch.

The German not only scored against his former club but repeatedly moved across the frontline, creating uncertainty in Chelsea’s defensive structure.

His finest contribution, however, came without touching the ball.

For Ødegaard’s winning goal, Christos Tzolis drove inside from the left and played the ball towards Havertz. The forward shaped as though he would receive it, only to withdraw his foot deliberately.

That dummy froze Wesley Fofana and allowed Ødegaard to run into the space behind him before calmly finishing.

The official assist went to Tzolis, but the decisive piece of invention belonged to Havertz.

His performance underlined why Arsenal can still threaten without relying exclusively on one attacking route.

Tzolis gives Arsenal another dimension

Arsenal’s right side remains dangerous, with Bukayo Saka, Ødegaard and Ben White combining effectively.

Against Chelsea, though, the left flank provided an equally important outlet.

Tzolis repeatedly looked to run beyond the Chelsea defence rather than simply receiving possession to feet. His movement stretched the visitors’ back line and prevented them from concentrating solely on Saka.

The Greek winger also supplied the low cross for Ødegaard’s winner and showed why his early-season impact has attracted attention.

His developing relationship with Ødegaard was particularly encouraging. The winning move closely resembled Ødegaard’s goal against Manchester City in the Community Shield, suggesting a rehearsed attacking pattern that Arsenal can return to.

Arsenal were more open than usual but still deserved the points

Last season’s Arsenal were built around control, defensive structure and the ability to suffocate opponents.

This was a different kind of performance.

Chelsea repeatedly threatened on the counter, while Pedro Neto struck the post before half-time. Rogers also went close, while Cole Palmer found pockets of space around the Arsenal defence.

Late on, substitute Estêvão forced David Raya into an excellent save from distance.

Yet Arsenal created enough themselves to justify the victory.

Emiliano Martínez produced several important interventions, including saves from Saka and Gabriel, while Arsenal also had a disallowed goal after Ezri Konsa hit the post and Riccardo Calafiori followed up.

The champions did not control every phase, but they remained dangerous throughout.

Arsenal have shown they can win different types of games

The significance of this result lies partly in how Arsenal won it.

They had previously beaten Coventry City 3-0 before grinding out a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa. Against Chelsea, they were forced to respond to an early deficit in a high-tempo contest.

They did so without abandoning their attacking principles.

The summer departures of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri had reduced Arteta’s attacking options, yet Havertz, Tzolis, Saka and Ødegaard provided enough quality to overturn Chelsea’s advantage.

The victory also extends Arsenal’s unbeaten run against Chelsea to 11 matches in all competitions, including eight wins.

For Alonso, there were clear positives in the way Chelsea attacked in transition. For Arteta, the more immediate message was that his side can absorb an early setback, increase the tempo and still find solutions.

Read More: Arsenal vs Chelsea 2-1: Player Ratings as impressive Martin Odegaard receives a 9/10

Three games, three wins and Arsenal remain perfect at the top.

The early title race may still be in its infancy, but this was a significant examination of the champions’ resilience, attacking variety and ability to win a pulsating contest rather than a controlled one.