Sports
Arteta Praises Arsenal's Comeback Spirit After Chelsea Win, Predicts More to Come
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have shown they can reach even greater heights this season after his side came from behind to defeat Chelsea on Sunday, keeping pace with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Arsenal fell behind early at the Emirates Stadium when Morgan Rogers scored, marking the first goal conceded by the champions this season. However, Kai Havertz quickly equalised, and later set up Martin Ødegaard with a clever dummy to complete the turnaround and secure a 2-1 victory. The result moved Arsenal level on points with Manchester City at the summit of the table. Arteta praised his players' response to adversity. 'It was an exceptional performance,' he said. 'I enjoyed every minute from beginning to end, and the beginning was tough. But the team responded in a spectacular way – the conviction, the determination, the quality. It was beautiful. It was a fascinating game.' He added that the match demonstrated Arsenal's potential to surpass last season's level of performance, though he stressed the importance of maintaining focus and humility. Arteta also noted that Arsenal and Manchester City remain the only two teams unbeaten after three matches, suggesting this reflects how competitive the league will be this season. He cited recent tough away fixtures at Aston Villa and anticipated a similarly difficult trip to Sunderland. The Arsenal manager was particularly pleased with Ødegaard's performance, noting the captain's growing confidence following two injury-hit seasons. Ødegaard has scored three goals in four appearances so far this campaign. Arteta also complimented Havertz, saying the German forward appeared settled and happy both on and off the pitch, attributing his current form partly to positive developments in his personal life. Arsenal are also hoping for a quick recovery for Cristhian Mosquera, who is dealing with a muscle injury. For Chelsea, the loss marked their first defeat under new manager Xabi Alonso, whose team has now conceded seven goals in three league matches. Despite an attacking performance, defensive lapses proved costly. 'My priority is to win games and it’s easier when you don’t concede many,' Alonso said. 'This is something we need to address. We want to be tighter, more clinical, more balanced. But this takes time.' Alonso insisted his team competed well and had chances to level the score, adding that the defeat, while disappointing, would not significantly affect morale early in the campaign. Chelsea have now gone 19 league games without a clean sheet, but Alonso rejected the idea of adopting a more defensive approach, saying his side aims to remain proactive and competitive in every match. On the injury front, Alonso expressed cautious optimism regarding Moisés Caicedo, who missed the Chelsea match due to a knock. The midfielder has yet to start a match this season, and his availability for Wednesday's Carabao Cup tie against Leeds remains uncertain. 'It’s about assessing the risk,' Alonso said. 'Probably last week we took him on too early and I don’t want to make the same mistake again.'