Soccer
Arsenal come from behind to claim London derby honours against Chelsea
Arsenal needed to come from behind to win a breathless game 2-1 against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium as Kai Havertz scored for the third time in the Premier League against his former club.
Havertz netted midway through the first half to equalise after Morgan Rogers, who the champions missed out on signing during the transfer window, had stunned home fans with a volleyed goal after 77 seconds.
The Germany international was instrumental too in Martin Odegaard’s 50th-minute winner, executing a delightful dummy to leave Chelsea’s defence flatfooted and create room for the captain to rifle home.
Chelsea had lost four league games in a row at the Emirates, conceding 11 goals, but here they gave Arsenal a far sterner examination than at any time during that sequence, with the front three of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Rogers again showing their potential as assets in a possible title challenge.
Yet Xabi Alonso appeared no closer to solving the enigma of a team so irresistible in attack yet too easily pulled into all the wrong shapes defensively and in midfield.
In truth, Arsenal’s play and Chelsea’s wobbles ought to have brought victory by a larger margin, Emiliano Martinez with a wonderful stop to deny Bukayo Saka, before David Raya gave a reminder of his own indispensability with an even better save to keep out Estevao.
The Emirates was silenced with a Chelsea goal in the second minute.
Arsenal wasted multiple chances to deal with Reece James’ deep free-kick. Declan Rice’s header failed to clear the box, Odegaard was beaten to the second ball, and waiting on the edge of the box was Rogers to send a volley back and just beyond the reach of Raya, who may have been slow to get down.
A goalmouth scramble ended with Riccardo Calafiori putting the ball in the net before VAR spotted an offside against Ezri Konsa somewhere amongst the muddle of shots, ricochets and blocks.
Martinez saved from Saka after a lovely ball to release him by Odegaard, then Wesley Fofana had to be alert to deflect behind Havertz’s first-time strike.
James and Palmer both had worthy attempts from range saved by Raya.
Chelsea continued to threaten, with Pedro inches away from making it 2-0, sliding in at the back post narrowly short of Palmer’s cross.
All of Arsenal’s danger was coming down the right and it was from there that they levelled. Havertz received the ball out near the flank and ran it infield through too little Chelsea resistance, sending a low shot between the legs of Maxence Lacroix that beat Martinez at his near post.
Arsenal were fortunate not to go in at the break behind, Pedro Neto burning down the right, cutting inside and striking a post.
The winner for Mikel Arteta’s side was beautifully worked. Christos Tzolis collected the ball wide and slipped a pass into the box that was cleverly allowed to run on by Havertz, his feint allowing the ball to reach Odegaard who lashed it home.
Chelsea were now penned, their defence full of gaps and struggling to contain the champions.
Only a wonderful reach from Martinez kept Saka’s shot from creeping inside the far post. A stunning one-handed save from Raya denied substitute Estevao with a sublime curling effort, the closest the Blues came in the second half.
