Five things we learnt from the Arsenal-Chelsea clash

Sunday afternoon in London turned red as defending Premier League champions Arsenal claimed all three points with a 2-1 victory over their London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea opened the game in a flash, with new signing Morgan Rogers finding the back of the net after just 77 seconds. Rogers latched onto a loose ball following a Chelsea set-piece and produced a clean first-time volley from outside the area, catching David Raya off guard and stunning the 60,704-capacity crowd at the Emirates.

Arsenal’s equalizer came through a sublime strike from former Blues forward Kai Havertz, who cut inside before rolling a low effort into Emiliano Martinez’s near post in the 25th minute. The Emirates erupted once again, hope was restored and belief was back over the roof — it felt like it was only a matter of time before the Gunners completed the turnaround.

The hosts then found the back of the net once again to take the lead, as Christos Tzolis produced a defense-splitting pass into the area.

Havertz was involved once again, cleverly let the ball run to fool his marker and allow Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to finish from close range in the 50th minute taking the game to 2-1, while leaving Martinez helpless.

It was certainly one of the standout fixtures of the Premier League calendar, with Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso going head-to-head for the first time as managers after years of friendship and a shared footballing journey that began in San Sebastian.

The pair played together at youth level for Antiguoko, but never represented Spain together at senior international level. Alonso, meanwhile, went on to earn 114 caps for Spain during his senior international career.

The victory further underlined Arteta’s dominance against his London rivals. Having already established an impressive record against Chelsea, the Arsenal boss moved to 12 wins, four draws and just two defeats in 18 meetings with the Blues.

This was no ordinary victory. For Arsenal, it was another statement of their authority, while for Chelsea and Alonso, it offered a first taste of just how unforgiving this fixture can be.

The Blues started brightly and showed plenty of promise, but the champions eventually took control, turned the game around and left their London rivals with another painful lesson. A bitter pill to swallow.

A look at five things we learnt from the Arsenal-Chelsea clash:

Xavi Alonso’s midfield couldn’t compete

In a game that had a lot at stake, Alonso faced an old foe from his Premier League playing days for the first time in a competitive meeting, as managers — someone who knew all about how a team should set up in midfield, having been one of the best midfielders of his time, but still lacked the impetus to show more than what was expected of his side from the dugout.

But, here begs the question; was it an issue of unavailable personnel or simply a wrong selection choice when it mattered most — a moment to prove that he could coach a midfield capable of dominating or at least competing against a much more formidable and consistent side like Arsenal?

This could be both…

The absence of Moises Caicedo, however, cannot be overlooked, as his ability to cover ground, break up play and provide the protection needed in front of the defense was clearly missed against an Arsenal side that was able to find spaces in midfield and exploit them when it mattered most.

Another question, though, is why Alonso opted for Reece James alongside Romeo Lavia instead of perhaps giving the young Argentine midfielder, Valentin Barco the opportunity to partner Lavia in midfield.

With Caicedo unavailable, could Barco’s energy and mobility have offered Chelsea something different in the middle of the park, especially, as they struggled to match Arsenal’s intensity and control for large periods of the game?

Maybe yes, maybe no. But the fact still remains that on Sunday, Arteta’s side had a field day in the middle of the park.

Chelsea have shown enough to suggest there is more to come under Alonso

Despite the defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea have shown enough under Alonso to suggest there is more to come from this side. The Blues started brightly, took an early lead and showed plenty of attacking promise, but as the game progressed, Arsenal began to find their rhythm and Chelsea struggled to maintain the same intensity.

There are still questions Alonso needs to answer, particularly when it comes to finding the right balance in midfield and defence, but the potential within this Chelsea side is certainly there.

The bigger question is how far Alonso can take them with a squad that has shown glimpses of what it can become.

Potential…Potential… Potential

And with no European football to worry about this season, Alonso has something that could work heavily in his favour — time. Time to work on his ideas, develop his players and build a side capable of competing consistently without the distraction and demands of European competition.

The Arsenal defense is hard to beat

Arsenal had the best defense in the Premier League last season, conceding just 27 goals in 38 matches, while goalkeeper David Raya maintained his position as the keeper with the most clean sheets, winning the Premier League Golden Glove for the third successive season.

They have started the season remarkably well with another tight defensive form, winning their opening matches (including a 2-1 win over Chelsea) while conceding very few high-quality chances or shots on target.

With a defensive line anchored by William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Benjamin White and Riccardo Calafiori, alongside the additions of summer signings, Ezri Konsa and Piero Hincapie, and with strong protection from Declan Rice and David Raya in goal, teams continue to struggle to even get a sniff of goal against the robustly built Gunners backline — a shield that is proving difficult to penetrate.

Did Gabriel Magalhaes deserve a red card — VAR again?

In the heat of Arsenal’s fight to get back into the game, Gabriel Magalhaes accidentally hit Chelsea goalkeeper Martinez in the face with with his boots in the penalty area. It first looked like a normal scuffle, until several replays showed different angles where the defender was seen “unconventionally” swinging his left foot towards the head of the Argentine goalkeeper.

This left him down for a moment… Now, here comes the refereeing errors people keep complaining about after each game. Referee Chris Kavanagh allowed play to continue, while VAR did not intervene, with the incident ultimately deemed accidental rather than serious foul play.

Somehow, the Brazilian defender escaped what some fans and pundits described as a miscarriage of justice — a narrow escape for Gabriel. But was the referee right to overlook the incident? And did VAR simply stick with the on-field decision, or could it have done better in its judgement, given the importance of the fixture and the nature of the contact?

Well… well… well… It was yet another weekend where the spotlight shifted towards “VAR controversy”, overshadowing what was otherwise a beautifully displayed piece of tactical intelligence and control from Arsenal.

Arsenal are surely defending champions

If anyone had doubted Arsenal’s ability to defend their Premier League title, then this is certainly one of the games that could define the kind of season we are likely to experience from Mikel Arteta’s side. The Gunners have shown a clear intent to once again defy the odds, winning all three of their opening Premier League fixtures in style, while scoring six goals and conceding just one.

Arteta’s side have taken maximum points from Coventry City, Aston Villa and Chelsea, with Sunday’s 2-1 comeback victory over the Blues arguably their biggest statement yet. The result leaves Arsenal on nine points from a possible nine, level at the top of the table with Manchester City, and already looking like a side determined to make their title defense count.

As defending champions and winners of their first Premier League title since 2004, Arsenal have started their title defense with maximum points from a possible nine, joining City as the only sides to have maintained a perfect record after three games.

The Chelsea victory, in particular, could prove significant. Arsenal were forced to respond after falling behind inside 2 minutes, but they showed the resilience and composure expected of champions to turn the game around.

If this is an early indication of what lies ahead, Arteta’s side have already made it clear that they are not prepared to surrender their crown without a fight.