Arsenal fought back from an early setback to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates on Sunday, a result that lifts the Premier League champions up to second in the table, level on points with leaders Manchester City following City's win over Coventry on Saturday.
Chelsea made the perfect start, with Morgan Rogers putting them ahead inside the opening two minutes to give the visitors an early platform in a lively London derby. Arsenal needed roughly ten minutes to respond, and it was former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz who levelled matters with a composed finish from the edge of the box, one that former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez could do little about.
With the sides level at half-time, Mikel Arteta's team wasted little time asserting control after the restart. A quick move down the left saw Christos Tzolis pick out Martin Odegaard in the box, and the Arsenal captain took the ball in his stride before firing past Martinez to put the hosts 2-1 ahead. Chelsea pushed for a way back into the game, with Cole Palmer forcing a save from David Raya, but couldn't find a second equaliser as Arsenal held on to complete the turnaround.
The win extends Arsenal's strong start to the season and keeps them right in the mix at the top of the table alongside City, while Chelsea will have to regroup after seeing an early lead slip away in a game that had plenty riding on it for both sides of north and west London.
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