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Havertz and Odegaard Inspire Arsenal Comeback Win Over Chelsea
Arsenal invested nearly £200 million on new signings during the summer transfer window but failed to secure the elite forward manager Mikel Arteta had targeted. The club showed interest in Julian Alvarez, Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola, and Vinicius Jr, but Alvarez remained at Atletico Madrid, Rogers signed for Chelsea, Barcola moved to Liverpool, and Vinicius Jr stayed at Real Madrid.
Despite missing out on a marquee forward, the reigning Premier League champions have carried their strong form from last season into this campaign. Following victories over Coventry City and Aston Villa, Arsenal defeated a heavily-spending Chelsea side 2-1 in an entertaining London derby on Sunday, coming from behind thanks to goals from established squad members Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.
Havertz, who joined Arsenal in 2023, and Odegaard, an Arsenal player since 2021, were the goal-scorers in a match against a Chelsea team that has spent close to £350 million since last season ended. The win gives Arsenal a maximum nine points from three matches, with just one goal conceded so far this season.
Former Premier League winner Chris Sutton told BBC Sport, "I can't see anyone stopping Arsenal."
Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two clubs with maximum points after three games this season. Arsenal opened with a comfortable win over Coventry, followed by a composed victory at Aston Villa. Against Chelsea, they needed to recover after Morgan Rogers, Chelsea's £117 million signing, scored in the second minute.
Captain Odegaard, who scored the 50th-minute winner after Havertz's first-half equaliser, said: "Our mentality is to keep fighting. We have shown that many times. We never want to concede early, but the reaction is top. We got our reward in the end and the response was brilliant. We showed our quality with and without the ball and the result reflects that."
Odegaard has now scored three goals in four appearances across all competitions this season, compared to just one goal in 36 appearances last season. "It was a big game, massive game, tough opponent, and we got there in the end, so brilliant," he added.
Former Manchester United and England player Ashley Young praised Odegaard's importance to the team: "He's just a joy to watch. He's exciting when he gets on the ball, he's allowing other players to get on the ball. The connection down the right side between him, Bukayo Saka and Havertz - it's just good to see when you've got players that know each other and build relationships in that way."
Young also highlighted defender Riccardo Calafiori's contribution to the winning goal: "It was his run, and he played it precisely, for the winning goal. He goes quickly, takes people out of the way. It's just clever. Arsenal deserved all three points."
Havertz praised his teammate, saying Odegaard was playing at his "very best." "He's an unbelievable player - we have seen that over the last years. He's going to help us a lot this season."
Sutton emphasized that Arsenal remain ahead of their rivals despite Chelsea's heavy spending: "They're such a powerhouse. Chelsea are a good team, but Arsenal always find a way to win. Can you stop Arsenal? I don't think they [other Premier League teams] can."
Arsenal have now won their opening three league matches while conceding fewer than two goals for only the third time in their history, following the 1924-25 season, when they finished 20th, and the unbeaten 2003-04 campaign. The Gunners have also won eight consecutive league games dating back to last season.
Arsenal's next fixture is away at Sunderland on Saturday, but before that they begin their Champions League campaign at Napoli on Wednesday. Havertz, who scored the winning goal for Chelsea in the 2021 Champions League final, said the win over his former club has boosted confidence ahead of the European opener: "Chelsea have an amazing squad, but so do we. We knew it was going to be tough. They scored early, so it's not easy for us, but we believed in ourselves and changed the game around."