By Our Reporter
Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season.
Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea a dream start when he fired home after just 77 seconds, scoring against Arsenal after the Gunners had reportedly pursued his signature during the summer transfer window.
The early setback sparked a strong response from Arsenal, who dominated much of the first half and eventually drew level through Kai Havertz.
The former Chelsea forward collected the ball on the edge of the box and beat goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful effort at the near post to make it 1-1.
Arsenal thought they had taken the lead earlier when Riccardo Calafiori tapped in following a goalmouth scramble, but the effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.
Chelsea remained dangerous on the counter-attack and almost restored their advantage before the break. Rogers curled an effort narrowly wide before Pedro Neto struck the post in stoppage time.
Arsenal took control after the interval and completed the comeback five minutes into the second half.
Martin Odegaard finished a slick team move after receiving a pass from Christos Tzolis, with Havertz’s clever dummy helping create the opening. The Arsenal captain’s finish put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
Chelsea pushed for an equaliser but Arsenal continued to create the better chances. Martinez produced an excellent fingertip save to deny Bukayo Saka before making another crucial stop to keep out Ezri Konsa’s header.
Chelsea came close to forcing a late leveller when Estevao produced a curling effort in the 89th minute, but Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya made an outstanding save to tip the ball over the crossbar.
The victory keeps Arsenal perfect after three Premier League matches and level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table.
Chelsea, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the campaign but demonstrated during an entertaining contest that they are likely to remain among the leading challengers this season.
The match provided an early indication of the intensity of the title race, with both London clubs producing a high-quality and fiercely contested encounter at the Emirates.