Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea in a London derby and maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season, with Martin Ødegaard scoring the winning goal. The result kept Mikel Arteta’s side among the teams yet to drop a point and ensured they remained level on points with Manchester City.
The victory was Arsenal’s first major test after wins over newly promoted Coventry in the opening round and fellow outsiders Aston Villa in the second. The derby did not begin according to the Gunners’ plans, but Arsenal grew into the contest and turned the match in their favour.
The performances behind the comeback were assessed by the online publication Euro-Football.Ru, with players receiving marks out of 10. The starting rating for every player was 6.0.
Christos Tzolis – 7.5
Christos Tzolis produced a much stronger display than in his previous match and looked far more secure throughout the game. He repeatedly troubled Acheampong, attempting 19 dribbles and winning six of his eight duels.
The Arsenal player also helped create danger with four passes that advanced attacks and supplied the assist for Ødegaard’s goal. His influence diminished towards the end, however, as fatigue began to show and he was no longer able to maintain the same intensity.
Martin Ødegaard – 8.0
Ødegaard was eventually substituted, suggesting that he too had begun to tire, but his contribution had already proved decisive. From the outset, the midfielder focused on combining with team-mates and disrupting Chelsea’s defensive shape.
He caused problems both from set pieces and in open play, producing four key passes and creating two goalscoring opportunities. His most important contribution came when he scored the winning goal, completing Arsenal’s turnaround in the derby.
Kai Havertz – 8.5
Kai Havertz received the highest rating among the three players highlighted for Arsenal. His performance was built around a series of intelligent decisions and subtle passes, many of which opened space without immediately drawing attention.
For Ødegaard’s goal, Havertz distracted Fofana before pulling his foot away from the ball, creating a “no-touch” assist that allowed the pass to reach the Arsenal captain. Later, he also skilfully put the ball through Fofana’s legs during another attacking move.
Havertz had already made a major contribution earlier in the match by scoring Arsenal’s equaliser midway through the first half. He finished a dangerous sequence of attacks by sending the ball through Lacroix’s legs and into the near corner.
That goal capped Arsenal’s growing pressure and brought the sides level after Chelsea had made the more favourable start. Havertz’s intelligent movement, Ødegaard’s creativity and Tzolis’ direct running ultimately gave Arteta’s team the quality required to overturn the deficit and continue their winning Premier League run.