Sports

Havertz and Odegaard Lead Arsenal Fightback to Down Chelsea 2-1 in Thrilling Derby

By Sam Blitz

Arsenal fought back from an early setback to defeat Chelsea 2-1 in a thrilling London derby on Sunday, September 6, 2026, in what has already been dubbed an early candidate for match of the season. The victory kept the reigning champions unbeaten and level on points with Manchester City after three games.

Chelsea, who had pursued Morgan Rogers over the summer, took the lead in stunning fashion when the forward struck just 77 seconds into the match, firing home from the edge of the box after a cleared free-kick fell into his path.

Arsenal responded almost immediately with pressure of their own. In the fifth minute, a scramble following a Martin Odegaard free-kick saw Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel both fail to convert from close range. Seven minutes later, another goalmouth scramble ended with Calafiori appearing to score, but the effort was ruled out for offside after Ezri Konsa was found to be in an offside position during the buildup.

Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez then denied Bukayo Saka with a strong save in the 18th minute before Arsenal drew level in the 25th minute. Kai Havertz, playing against his former club, beat Martinez at the near post with a driven shot from outside the box for his fourth career goal against Chelsea.

Chelsea nearly restored their lead before halftime, with Rogers curling an effort just wide in the 31st minute and Pedro Neto striking the post in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Arsenal took control after the break, going ahead in the 50th minute when Odegaard latched onto a pass from Christos Tzolis, set up by a clever dummy from Havertz, to fire home the second goal. It marked Odegaard's second goal of the season and mirrored a similar move that produced his goal in the Community Shield against Manchester City.

Chelsea substitute Malo Gusto had a chance to level the score in the 61st minute but curled his shot over the bar after being set up by Neto. Martinez continued to frustrate Arsenal, producing a fingertip save to deny Saka in the 69th minute and stopping a Konsa header off the goalline from a Saka corner three minutes later.

Chelsea nearly snatched a point in the 89th minute when Estevao unleashed a curling effort that required a stunning save from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who tipped it over the crossbar.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher noted that Arsenal's depth remains a concern for rivals, pointing out that centre-back William Saliba had not played a single minute this season despite the team's defensive solidity. Carragher described a significant gap between the two squads, though he credited Chelsea as emerging challengers.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team's response after conceding early, telling Sky Sports that the performance demonstrated the squad's capacity to exceed last season's level. He said he enjoyed the match from start to finish and felt the team deserved the victory given their overall quality and determination.

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso acknowledged defensive issues that need addressing, noting it was his side's first loss of the campaign. He said the team wanted to be proactive and competitive from the opening whistle rather than sitting back, adding that while positive elements were evident, Chelsea must become more efficient and clinical as the season progresses.