Arsenal’s attacking trio shines
Arsenal secured their third consecutive Premier League victory, defeating Chelsea 2-1 in a recent London derby. The match highlighted the effectiveness of Arsenal‘s attacking trio: Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Bukayo Saka. Their combined efforts proved crucial, especially given that the club missed out on several high-profile forwards during the summer transfer window, including Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Junior, and Julian Alvarez.
The game saw an early setback for Arsenal when Morgan Rogers scored for Chelsea within the first 77 seconds. However, Arsenal quickly regained their composure. Kai Havertz equalised with a precise finish at Emiliano Martinez‘s near post. Later, Odegaard scored the winning goal, combining with Havertz, who provided a dummy run.
This fixture marked the first time since December 2024 that Odegaard, Havertz, and Saka have started three consecutive league games together, a testament to their fitness after periods of injury. Their availability is seen as key to Arsenal‘s attacking prowess, particularly after a previous season where injuries impacted the team’s forward options.
Odegaard, who scored only once in 36 games last season, has rediscovered his scoring form, now with three goals in four appearances in the new campaign. His increased presence in the box and improved chemistry with Saka and Havertz have been notable. Against Chelsea, Odegaard passed to Saka 10 times and Havertz seven times, demonstrating their strong on-field understanding.
Havertz has also been impactful, contributing three goals in four games. His all-round performance, including his aerial ability, runs in behind, and link-up play with midfielders, has been praised. Pundit Jamie Carragher noted that displacing Havertz from the team would require a world-class player. The collective effort of the trio accounts for all six of Arsenal‘s goals in the first three Premier League games of the season.
Tactical approach and team dynamics
Arsenal‘s fluid movement in the final third was evident against Chelsea. Havertz often drifted to the right, Saka appeared centrally or swapped flanks with Christos Tzolis, and Riccardo Calafiori covered various areas. This dynamic approach, described by manager Mikel Arteta as adding a new layer of dynamism and threat, caused significant problems for Chelsea‘s defence.
Arteta expressed satisfaction with the team’s reaction to conceding an early goal, highlighting their composure and personality. He also noted the importance of player availability, recalling how injuries to key attacking players like Odegaard, Saka, and Havertz affected the team in previous seasons. The current fitness of these players is seen as crucial for Arsenal‘s ambitions.
Chelsea, under new manager Xabi Alonso, had a busy transfer window, bringing in 11 players, including Morgan Rogers, Jordan Henderson, and Maxence Lacroix. Despite their perfect start to the league season with wins against Fulham and Brighton, their defence struggled to cope with Arsenal‘s movement and combinations, particularly in the right half-space where Odegaard and Saka operate effectively.
Chelsea‘s midfield also showed signs of potential weakness, with Enzo Fernandez having left the club and Moises Caicedo dealing with early-season injury issues. This has led to players like Romeo Lavia, Malo Gusto, Reece James, and Valentin Barco filling in. Chelsea also conceded twice from set pieces in their initial matches, indicating areas for defensive improvement.
Derby history and upcoming challenges
Arsenal has maintained a strong record against Chelsea in recent years, being unbeaten in their last nine Premier League matches against them, with six wins and three draws. This marks their best unbeaten run against Chelsea since a 19-game streak between 1995 and 2005. Chelsea‘s last away win against Arsenal in the Premier League was a 2-0 victory in August 2021.
The recent match was officiated by Chris Kavanagh, who previously took charge of this fixture in March 2025, a game Arsenal won 1-0. Kavanagh‘s last Premier League match involving Arsenal was in May 2026, when they secured a 1-0 win against West Ham United.
Looking ahead, Arsenal faces the challenge of maintaining the fitness of their key attacking players. The club’s record of 91 Premier League goals in the 2023/24 season, achieved when Odegaard, Havertz, and Saka were consistently fit, underscores the importance of their continued availability.
Mikel Arteta‘s team has started the 2026-27 season with two Premier League wins, and a third consecutive victory would mark only the second time in the last 21 seasons they have achieved such a start, the previous instance being in 2022/23. Chelsea, meanwhile, has won their first three matches across all competitions this season, a feat they last accomplished in 2018-19 under Maurizio Sarri in the Premier League.
The match saw Bukayo Saka score in his second consecutive Premier League appearance. The last player to score in their first three games of a season for Arsenal was Alexandre Lacazette in 2020/21. The focus for Arsenal now is to continue their strong start and build on the chemistry displayed by their attacking players.
Arsenal‘s defensive statistics from the first two matchdays of 2026/27 indicate a solid start, as they faced the fewest shots (11) and fewest shots on target (one) of any Premier League side. They also allowed opponents the lowest xG (0.54).
The team will need to manage player fitness, with Bruno Guimaraes and Cristhian Mosquera picking up knocks in the win against Aston Villa. Jurrien Timber continues his recovery, while William Saliba remains a longer-term absentee. Chelsea is also managing injuries, with Moises Caicedo awaiting a late fitness test and Jordan Henderson nearing a return to first-team action.
Source: skysports.com