Arsenal fights back to end Chelsea's flying start

Arsenal delivered an emphatic response to Chelsea's emergence as a potential Premier League title contender with a 2-1 win that ended its rival's unbeaten start on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's side trailed to Morgan Rogers' second-minute goal in a pulsating London derby at the Emirates Stadium.

But the champion showed why it is firm favorite to retain the title with a blistering response to that early setback.

Kai Havertz bagged the equalizer against his former club midway through the first half and Martin Odegaard netted Arsenal's winner soon after the interval.

It was a statement of intent from second-placed Arsenal, who has won all three league matches to sit behind leader Manchester City on goals scored.

The Gunners' mature display underlined their desire to win the club's first back-to-back titles since the 1930s.

"I think it was an exceptional performance. I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end, and the beginning was tough," Arsenal manager Arteta told reporters.

"I enjoyed it because the team reacted in a spectacular way. The conviction, the determination, the quality of which I intend to have them constantly, it was beautiful.

"It's an indication for us of how capable we are to perform at an even higher level than last season, and it depends on how we maintain and sustain that desire."

For Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, the defeat ended his three-game winning run in all competitions since taking charge at Stamford Bridge in the offseason.

Alonso will realize just how much work Chelsea still has to do before it is in position to end a title drought dating back to 2017.

Chelsea's shaky defense is prone to costly miscues, while its vaunted attack found it harder to flourish against Arsenal than in its free-scoring wins over Fulham, Luton and Brighton.

"I learned about the game, about us, about what we are doing, what we are starting," Alonso said.

"This is a process. It's still early days for us. We want to start having clean sheets. They will come."

The Spaniard was frustrated with the way Chelsea failed to take advantage of its early lead.

"It hurts because a defeat has to hurt. It was a very intense game. We had chances to equalize," he said.

"After we scored, there were 15 or 20 minutes where we had to defend too much and we were struggling a bit to get control. Overall, it was a very tight, very intense game.

"We could do better with the second goal. You need to control the overloads on the right side."

Arteta and Alonso have known each other since their days as childhood friends in the Basque region of Spain.

The chaotic matches of their youth on a gravel pitch in the Berio district of San Sebastian would have seemed calm in comparison to the blood and thunder their teams brought to a raucous corner of north London.

Chelsea beat Arsenal in the race to sign Rogers from Aston Villa in the offseason after the Gunners refused to match the Blues' 117-million-pound ($158 million) bid for the England midfielder.

Rogers showed why Chelsea made him the most expensive British player in history as he put the Blues ahead after just 77 seconds.

Arsenal's rocksolid defense had allowed just one shot on target in its first two games.

So often masters of the setpiece, Arteta's men were found wanting at a free-kick for once.

Reece James' lofted delivery wasn't cleared by Declan Rice or Odegaard, giving Rogers the chance to drive a low volley past David Raya from the edge of the penalty area.

It was the first goal conceded by Arsenal this season.

Having conceded five times in its first two league games under Alonso, Chelsea's three-man central defense remains flawed and it was exposed again in the 25th minute.

Havertz was allowed to drift from the right flank to the edge of the area unchecked by Jorrel Hato before the German smashed a low strike through the slow-to-react Maxence Lacroix's legs and past Emiliano Martinez at his near post.

Martinez was signed from Villa to replace the error-prone Robert Sanchez but the Argentine's weak attempted save was hardly an improvement on his hapless predecessor.

Pedro Neto was inches away from restoring Chelsea's lead just before halftime when the Portugal winger slapped his shot against the far post.

Where Chelsea was profligate, Arsenal has developed a ruthless touch in front of goal.

It exploited Chelsea's weakness at the back to net with a superb-crafted move in the 50th minute.

Christos Tzolis has made an impressive start following his offseason move from Club Brugge and the Greek winger's incisive pass sliced through the Chelsea defense to Havertz.

The German's clever dummy let the ball run through to Odegaard and he kept his composure to slot home from 10 yards.

Rogers' angry clash with Rice prompted mocking chants of "you should have signed for a big club" from Arsenal fans.

Chelsea had chances to silence the taunts, but Malo Gusto blazed over from a good position before Estevao Willian's rocket was tipped over by Raya in the final minutes.