{"id":16078,"date":"2026-09-06T18:51:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T18:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swoosh0018.com\/?p=16078"},"modified":"2026-09-07T20:52:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T20:52:54","slug":"arsenal-2-chelsea-1-gunners-firing-away-what-say-the-gunnersarsenalfans-chelseafans-epl-arsenalvschelsea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swoosh0018.com\/?p=16078","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1. Gunners firing away. What say the Gunners?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Arsenal<\/p>\n

Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: Champions Hit Back as Havertz and \u00d8degaard Win a Brilliant London Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n

Morgan Rogers stunned the Emirates after just 77 seconds, but Arsenal responded like champions. Kai Havertz punished his former club before Martin \u00d8degaard completed the comeback in a pulsating London derby.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you learn more about a team when things go wrong. For Arsenal, things went wrong after 77 seconds. Chelsea arrived at the Emirates Stadium with ambition, attacked from the start and were rewarded almost immediately when Morgan Rogers fired them ahead.<\/p>\n

The champions were behind. The Emirates was stunned. But Arsenal’s response was probably the most impressive part of the afternoon.<\/p>\n

They didn’t panic.They didn’t lose their shape. They simply went after Chelsea.<\/p>\n

This was only three games into the season. But it already felt like a statement.<\/p>\n

Chelsea land the first punch.Chelsea could hardly have asked for a better start. A free-kick wasn’t properly cleared and Rogers was waiting on the edge of the area. 1-0 after 77 seconds.<\/p>\n

For Xabi Alonso, it was almost the perfect opening to his first major London derby as Chelsea manager. But scoring that early can sometimes change a game in strange ways. Because what followed wasn’t Arsenal looking nervous.<\/p>\n

It was Arsenal looking angry.Arsenal’s reaction was relentless Within minutes, Arsenal were pushing Chelsea backwards. There was a goalmouth scramble.Then Riccardo Calafiori thought he had equalised, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Bukayo Saka forced Emiliano Mart\u00ednez into a good save.<\/p>\n

Chelsea suddenly couldn’t get out. And eventually the pressure told.<\/p>\n

Havertz against Chelsea. Of course. It almost had to be him. In the 25th minute, Havertz collected the ball around the edge of the box and drove his shot beyond Mart\u00ednez at the near post.<\/p>\n

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His movement caused problems. His link-up play caused problems. And when Arsenal needed somebody to make something happen, Havertz delivered.<\/p>\n

Still, Chelsea remained dangerous. Rogers curled another effort narrowly wide before Pedro Neto hit the post in first-half stoppage time. That was the warning.<\/p>\n

Arsenal had controlled much of the football. Chelsea could still hurt them. Five minutes after the restart came the moment that decided it.<\/p>\n

And this was Arsenal at their best. Christos Tzolis found Havertz. Havertz produced the dummy.<\/p>\n

And Martin \u00d8degaard put Arsenal 2-1 ahead. It was slick.Quick.Simple. And devastating.The sort of goal that makes a manager very happy because it isn’t about one moment of individual brilliance.<\/p>\n

It is about players understanding each other.\u00d8degaard already looks different this season.<\/p>\n

A fit \u00d8degaard doesn’t just make Arsenal better. He makes everybody around him better.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chelsea weren’t finished.This wasn’t a comfortable final 40 minutes. Far from it.<\/p>\n

Chelsea made changes and continued looking for openings. Malo Gusto sent one over, while Arsenal had opportunities of their own to kill the game. Mart\u00ednez produced excellent saves from Saka and Ezri Konsa.<\/p>\n

Then came Chelsea’s big late moment. In the 89th minute, Est\u00eav\u00e3o curled an effort towards goal that looked like it might rescue a point. David Raya had other ideas.<\/p>\n

That was effectively the match. This is what champions do.There is a reason this victory will please Arteta.<\/p>\n

Arteta called the display “exceptional” afterwards and suggested his side are capable of reaching an even higher level than the one that won them the title last season.<\/p>\n

That’s quite a message to the rest of the league. Tzolis gives Arsenal something different;The new signing was involved in the move for \u00d8degaard’s winner and gave Chelsea another attacking problem to solve.<\/p>\n

Arsenal already have Saka. They already have Havertz.They already have \u00d8degaard. If Tzolis adds another consistent threat from wide areas, this attack suddenly becomes extremely difficult to predict. His performance was also picked out as one of the notable individual displays of the Premier League weekend.<\/p>\n

And that is probably the biggest positive for Arteta. Arsenal aren’t simply relying on exactly the same players to produce exactly the same football.<\/p>\n

There are new combinations developing. Chelsea showed promise \u2014 but the defence is a problem<\/p>\n

Chelsea shouldn’t leave the Emirates thinking everything went badly.Rogers looked dangerous.Neto caused problems.Est\u00eav\u00e3o almost rescued them late on. And there were periods where Alonso’s side looked capable of hurting the champions.<\/p>\n

But there is one statistic he cannot ignore. Chelsea have now conceded seven goals in their opening three league games.<\/p>\n

That’s too many. Alonso admitted afterwards that Chelsea need to become tighter, more clinical and better balanced.<\/p>\n

He’s right. There is plenty of attacking talent in this Chelsea team.<\/p>\n

But if they want to challenge Arsenal and Manchester City over 38 games, they cannot keep giving opponents opportunities. At the Emirates, Arsenal eventually punished them.<\/p>\n

Arsenal’s perfect start continuesThree Premier League games.Three wins.<\/p>\n

And after this weekend, Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two teams with perfect records.<\/p>\n

Next up is a trip to Sunderland.<\/p>\n

Chelsea return home to face Hull City.<\/p>\n

There is a long season ahead. But Arsenal have started it exactly how champions should.<\/p>\n

It felt like Arsenal reminding everybody:<\/p>\n

if you want their title, you’re going to have to take it from them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n