Reigning champions Arsenal won the London derby against Chelsea FC despite falling behind early and remain undefeated in the league. Havertz scored a stunner and also played a key role in Ödegaard’s 2-1 goal—albeit without officially being credited with an assist.
Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso have known each other since their youth days at Real Sociedad; now the two faced off on the sidelines in the London derby—Mikel Arteta with reigning champions Arsenal, Xabi Alonso as Chelsea’s new manager. After each team had opened the season with two league wins—the Gunners won convincingly against Coventry (3–0) and at Aston Villa (1–0), while the Blues put on spectacular performances at Fulham (3–2) and against Brighton (4–3)—it was a top-of-the-table clash between two undefeated teams.
Calafiori celebrates in vain—Havertz breaks the deadlock
The match lived up to that billing from the opening whistle. Just 80 seconds in, Rogers fired a volley into the left corner to give the Blues a lightning-fast start. The hosts’ response wasn’t long in coming: On a free kick played low into the box, Gabriel was denied by Hato and Martinez, who blocked the shot together (5th minute); later, the Blues’ goalkeeper made a strong save against Saka (18th minute). In the meantime, Arsenal even celebrated what they thought was the equalizer by Calafiori. But the VAR disallowed the goal due to an offside call (13th minute).
The fast-paced match showed no signs of slowing down; Arsenal pressed forward, while the Blues lay in wait for counterattacks and delivered their pinprick attacks. The well-deserved equalizer finally came from Havertz: The German international cut inside from the right wing and fired the ball low and precise into the near corner (25th minute).
After that, both teams took their first breather, and the rapid-fire pace of shots on goal slowed. Shortly before halftime, the visitors from West London made another statement: Pedro Neto curled the ball off the post (45’+3). The match went into halftime tied.
Havertz’s “Phantom” Assist for Ödegaard
After the break, it was the Gunners who got off to a dream start. A pass from Tzolis sent Havertz through beautifully in the center, effectively making him the true assist provider. Facing Martinez one-on-one, Ödegaard made no mistake in making it 2–1 (50th minute). The Gunners were literally overwhelming Chelsea during this phase, but suddenly shifted down a gear. The Blues regained some control but lacked real threat on offense.
So the hosts tightened up once again and sought to seal the victory. Martinez tipped a curling shot by Saka—set up by Havertz with a backheel—just wide of the post with his fingertips (69’); shortly afterward, the Argentine was also on hand on the goal line amid the chaos following a corner kick (72’). Above all, however, the reigning champions shifted their focus to protecting the lead.
Chelsea’s late push, on the other hand, was too lackluster to avoid their first loss of the season. Only on a shot by substitute Estevao did Raya have to demonstrate his skills (89’); otherwise, the Gunners allowed virtually nothing defensively. Thus, Arsenal remains undefeated and sits tied on points and goal difference with longtime rival Manchester City at the top of the table.
Champions League opener at the foot of Vesuvius
After losing last season’s final, the Gunners will make a fresh bid for the Champions League trophy on Wednesday (9 p.m.), traveling to face SSC Napoli on the first matchday of the group stage. The Blues, who missed out on all European competitions, will also be in action on Wednesday (9 p.m.) in the League Cup against Leeds United.
