Arsenal responded to an early Chelsea goal with authority, winning 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on September 6 to preserve a perfect Premier League start and give Mikel Arteta fresh evidence that his champions can improve on last season.
Morgan Rogers put Chelsea ahead in the second minute, but Kai Havertz levelled in the 25th before captain Martin Odegaard completed the turnaround after half-time. The result gave Arsenal three wins from three league games and left them, along with Manchester City, as the only teams with a 100 percent record after the opening three rounds. These match details were reported by Reuters via Dawn.
Arteta described the performance as exceptional and said it showed Arsenal are capable of operating at an even higher level than the side that won the Premier League last season. His full post-match comments were published by Arsenal in the club’s post-Chelsea press conference.
Arsenal vs Chelsea at a glance
| Match detail | Confirmed information |
| Result | Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea |
| Venue | Emirates Stadium, London |
| Date | September 6, 2026 |
| Chelsea scorer | Morgan Rogers, 2nd minute |
| Arsenal scorers | Kai Havertz, 25th minute; Martin Odegaard, second half |
| League start | Arsenal: three wins from three |
Chelsea struck first, Arsenal answered quickly
Chelsea could hardly have asked for a better start. Rogers met a dropping ball in the second minute and volleyed past David Raya, giving Xabi Alonso’s side an immediate lead and making Chelsea the first team in Premier League history to score inside the opening five minutes of each of their first three matches of a season, according to Reuters.
Arsenal did not allow the early setback to shape the match. They pushed Chelsea back, created pressure around the penalty area and thought they had equalised during a crowded goalmouth sequence before a VAR check ruled the move out for offside.
The equaliser arrived in the 25th minute. Havertz, facing his former club, moved in from the right and sent a low left-footed effort past Emiliano Martinez. Chelsea still carried danger on the break and Pedro Neto struck the post in first-half stoppage time, but Arsenal went into the interval having recovered both the scoreline and the momentum.
Odegaard delivers the winner after half-time
Arsenal began the second half on the front foot. New signing Christos Tzolis supplied the move that led to the winner, with Havertz allowing the ball to run through before Odegaard drove his finish high into the net.
The goal was particularly significant for Arsenal because Odegaard entered the season looking to re-establish his rhythm after injury interruptions last year. Arteta said the midfielder, Havertz and Bukayo Saka all had reason to feel they could offer more after missing stretches of the title-winning campaign.
Chelsea did threaten again. Raya had to turn away a dipping effort from Estevao as Arsenal protected the lead, but the champions managed the closing stages well enough to secure another three points.
Why Arteta called it a statement performance
The significance of the result was not simply that Arsenal beat a London rival. Their opening two league wins had come in very different circumstances: a comfortable victory over promoted Coventry City and a narrow 1-0 success at Aston Villa. Chelsea presented a different test, especially after Arsenal fell behind almost immediately.
Arteta said he enjoyed the way his team reacted and highlighted their conviction, determination and quality. More importantly, he framed the performance as evidence that last season’s title-winning standard does not have to be the ceiling for this group.
That matters because Arsenal entered 2026/27 as defending champions rather than challengers. The pressure is different. Opponents have more evidence to study, expectations are higher and every early result is measured against a season in which Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the league title.
Havertz, Odegaard and Saka give Arsenal a familiar attacking core
Arsenal had a relatively stable summer compared with Chelsea, but their attack still changed. Reuters reported that Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard departed, while Tzolis arrived and has already added another option on the flank.
Against Chelsea, however, the decisive moments came from two players who already understand Arteta’s system. Havertz scored the equaliser and then played a subtle role in the winning move, while Odegaard supplied the finish. Saka also looked sharp as Arsenal repeatedly stretched Chelsea’s defensive line.
Arteta’s point after the game was that continuity could become an advantage if key players stay available. Last season’s injuries limited how often Arsenal could use their preferred attacking combinations. A healthier start gives the manager a chance to build chemistry earlier.
Chelsea show attacking threat but defensive issues remain
For Chelsea, the defeat ended a strong opening run under new head coach Xabi Alonso. They created enough danger to trouble Arsenal, scored early and came close to a second through Neto and Estevao, but defensive problems remain visible.
Chelsea have conceded seven goals in their first three league matches, according to Reuters. Alonso said his team wants to start keeping clean sheets and stressed that the players remain committed to the work required to compete consistently.
That makes the result useful in two ways for Chelsea. It is a setback, but also an early measure of the distance between an evolving side and the reigning champions when the match becomes stretched and small defensive mistakes are punished.
What the result means for the Premier League title picture
Three matches are far too few to define a title race, but Arsenal have made the start they wanted. Three wins from three, a comeback against Chelsea and a manager publicly challenging his team to exceed last season’s level create an early sense of continuity rather than post-title complacency.
Manchester City are the only other Premier League side with a perfect record after three matches, while Chelsea have now dropped their first points under Alonso. The table will change quickly as fixtures accumulate, but Arsenal have already shown they can win in more than one way.
Frequently asked questions
Who scored in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea?
Morgan Rogers scored for Chelsea in the second minute. Kai Havertz equalised for Arsenal in the 25th minute, and Martin Odegaard scored the winner in the second half.
What did Mikel Arteta say after Arsenal beat Chelsea?
Arteta called Arsenal’s display exceptional and said the performance showed the team can operate at an even higher level than last season, when Arsenal won the Premier League title.
How have Arsenal started the 2026/27 Premier League season?
Arsenal have won their opening three league matches. Reuters reported that Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two clubs with perfect records after the first three rounds.
Arsenal turn an early warning into another win
Chelsea’s second-minute goal gave Arsenal their first real shock of the new league season. The response was the part Arteta valued most. Arsenal did not panic, found an equaliser through Havertz, took control after the break through Odegaard and protected the lead when Chelsea threatened late on.
For a defending champion, that kind of response can matter as much as an easy victory. Arsenal are only three matches into the campaign, but the 2-1 win gave Arteta a credible reason to argue that last season’s title-winning level can still be raised.
Updated: September 10, 2026
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