You can’t win the Premier League after three games, but you can certainly put down a fair old marker.
Arsenal have done just that as they joined Manchester City in maintaining a 100 per cent record to the start to the season. They were made to work hard for the three points in a tight 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea but just as they did so often last term, Mikel Arteta’s men came out on top against a fellow big gun.
And there’ll be plenty of positive vibes garnered from the nature of this derby win – flipping the game on its head after going behind early doors.
There was barely two minutes on the clock at the Emirates when Xabi Alonso’s charges went 1-0 up to silence the home crowd. Morgan Rogers – a summer target for Arsenal – hit a sweet volley after slapdash defending saw the ball bounce favorably his way right on the edge of the Gunners’ box. It wasn’t the cleanest contact but he caught it nicely enough to beat David Raya low down to his right.
That goal roared the hosts into action and they would then pepper the goal of their old stopper Emi Martinez, who had to be alert to keep away a chance from Bukayo Saka before Chelsea’s defence worked overtime to put in crucial blocks.
But they were powerless when Kai Havertz levelled the game up with a terrific goal. He picked the ball up on the right, cut inside and then unleashed a shot that beat Martinez at his near-post, although perhaps there will be a question mark regarding the Argentine’s positioning for the goal.
Pedro Neto then went up the other end and struck a post as Chelsea narrowly missed out on going a goal up just before the break. And that proved crucial, as Arsenal scored the game’s third goal the other side of half-time.
Again, Havertz was involved as he pulled off a brilliant dummy to allow the ball run to Martin Odegaard in the box and the Norwegian emphatically finished past Martinez.
Chelsea toiled but their best chance fell to sub Estevao who drew a superb save from Raya near the end as he cut inside and unleashed a fierce effort that the Spaniard tipped over the bar – and that was enough for the hosts to edge it.
The celebrations post-match showed that this win meant that little bit more to Arteta and his players and even at this early stage the signs appear to be ominous for the rest of the division.
Arteta was beaming post-match: “It was an absolute joy to watch our team play. The atmosphere in the stadium was great to witness. Our reaction was like an avalanche. It was another layer. We missed players for six months last season. To stand there, it was a joy to watch my team.”
Chelsea boss Alonso said: “It hurts. It hurts because a defeat has to hurt. It has been a very intense game with different moments for everything. We had chances to equalise. In the first half as well a couple of chances. Overall, it was a very tight, very intense game. We could do better with the second goal to conceded too early. The guys gave everything, tried everything. It has to hurt.”
Arsenal’s attentions now turn to the Champions League, with an opening trip to Napoli on Wednesday whilst for Chelsea it’s a League Cup assignment at home to Leeds the same night.
