Arsenal vs. Chelsea Player Ratings: Gunners Make Title Statement With Huge Comeback

Arsenal overcame an early setback to beat Chelsea 2–1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Much was made of the contest between the Blues’ thrilling attack and the Gunners robust defense in the build-up, and the former barely took a minute to get the ball rolling. Morgan Rogers’s volley stunned the Emirates Stadium, igniting an utterly captivating opening period that offered little respite.

After Riccardo Calafiori had a goal ruled out, ex-Blue Kai Havertz drew Arsenal level midway through the first half with a strike from the edge of the box that summer arrival Emiliano Martínez ought to have kept out.

Familiar Arsenal control returned after the restart, and Martin Ødegaard’s finish at the start of the second half handed the champions the lead. Chelsea huffed and puffed in the aftermath, but only once seriously tested David Raya, who saved superbly from Estêvão’s wicked strike.

Sunday’s triumph saw the champions lay down an early-season marker, as they joined Manchester City at the Premier League’s summit.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Martin Ødegaard — Arsenal remain dominant in this fixture. | Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Arsenal’s recent supremacy in this fixture continued.

Chelsea have now won just three of their previous 15 meetings with the Gunners, last beating their London rivals at the start of the 2021–22 season. Romelu Lukaku was on the scoresheet that day, as the Belgian ran all over an Arsenal defense boasting Pablo Mari.

Oh, how times have changed!

Xabi Alonso’s side entered this early-season bout as potential usurpers of the champions, despite last season’s torrid campaign, and their credentials were laid out at the Emirates Stadium. There was reason for encouragement, but you fear for their midfield depth and current reliance on transitional soccer.

Despite spurts of exuberance and a thrilling opening period, Chelsea and their majestic frontline were eventually tamed, and Arsenal’s hold over their London rivals remains firm. Still, with no European soccer to worry about and the advantage that offers, you’d be surprised if the Blues weren’t there or thereabouts.

However, it’s going to take a monstrous effort to displace the current kings. Arsenal have attained an assurance on the big occasion that’s unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1)

Kai Havertz — Havertz haunted his former club. | David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—7.3: Seemingly no one was more surprised by Rogers’s early strike than Raya, who hadn’t faced a shot on target through 180-odd minutes of action this season.

RB: Ben White—7.3: The charging Arsenal right back was a thorn in Chelsea’s defense, overloading their left side with plenty of overlapping runs.

CB: Ezri Konsa—7.8: He certainly won’t forget a crunching challenge on ex-teammate Rogers in a hurry. The Emirates faithful loved it.

CB: Gabriel—7.3: Beaten in the air by Maxence Lacroix in the build-up to Chelsea’s opener, and often looked uncomfortable when forced to defend in wide areas.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori—6.4: Arsenal’s buccaneering left back wasn’t particularly impactful here, and his forays forced Gabriel to shift across.

CM: Declan Rice—7.9: Rarely shrinks on the big occasion, and Rice delivered another lung-busting display in Arsenal’s engine room.

CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—6.3: Cute in the middle of the park, escaping blue shirts and attempting to ensure the Gunners progressed through the center of the pitch.

RW: Bukayo Saka—7.3: In and out of the contest, but his impact was certainly felt when the ball arrived at his feet. Saka drew a fine save from Martínez midway through the second half.

AM: Martin Ødegaard—8.4: Those are the positions Ødegaard’s starting to find himself in again. We saw it in the Community Shield, and his willingness to break into the box paid dividends here.

LW: Christos Tzolis—8.5: He’s inevitable, this man. Tzolis was hardly outstanding, yet the Greek winger added another assist to his tally.

ST: Kai Havertz—8.2: Haunted his former club by drawing the hosts level and was a general nuisance for Chelsea’s back three. Involved in the second goal, too.

SUB: Piero Hincapié (67’ for Calafiori)—6.3

SUB: Martín Zubimendi (67’ for Lewis-Skelly)—6.0

SUB: Viktor Gyökeres (77’ for Havertz)—6.0

SUB: Mikel Merino (77’ for Ødegaard)—6.0

SUB: Noni Madeuke (90’ for Saka)—N/A:

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Bruno Guimarães, Eberechi Eze, Max Dowman

Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Arsenal (3-4-2-1)

Morgan Rogers — Chelsea stunned the champions early. | John Walton/PA Images/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: Emiliano Martínez—7.5: Excellent for the most part, but you can only imagine the discourse had Robert Sánchez allowed Havertz’s effort to slip by him at the near post.

CB: Josh Acheampong—5.6: With Arsenal purring down their right, we didn’t see much of Acheampong defensively. The young defender was also seldom involved in Chelsea’s build-up play.

CB: Maxence Lacroix—6.5: The new leader of the Blues’ defense bullied Gabriel in the air in the build-up to the opening goal, but this was a tricky afternoon for Lacroix, who was forced to contend with Havertz, who always has the bit between his teeth when he faces his former club.

CB: Wesley Fofana—6.9: Flung himself into a few gutsy, desperate blocks in the first half. Perhaps could’ve done more to support Hato defensively.

RWB: Pedro Neto—7.0: The idea of Neto at wing back is certainly better than the reality. The Portuguese was an important outlet for the Blues, but didn’t make the most of some advantageous situations.

CM: Reece James—6.9: James was a standout in this fixture at Stamford Bridge last season. He wasn’t quite so special here, and his set pieces were a bit of a letdown.

CM: Roméo Lavia—6.5: A curious choice on the hour from Alonso to remove Lavia, who’d held his own in the middle of the park.

LWB: Jorrel Hato—7.0: Certainly not the long-term solution at wing back.

AM: Cole Palmer—6.5: There were opportunities for Palmer to wave his magic wand, but the Englishman struggled to execute.

AM: Morgan Rogers—7.7: Rogers’s productive start to his Chelsea career continued at the Emirates, volleying home the opening goal. He could’ve scored another later in the first half, but curled wide.

ST: João Pedro—6.3: Arsenal’s defense paid close attention to him, yet Pedro still had joy. His craft ignited most of Chelsea’s brightest moments, but sights of goal were limited.

SUB: Pep Chavarría (60’ for Hato)—6.5

SUB: Malo Gusto (60’ for Lavia)—6.1

SUB: Estêvão (81’ for Neto)—N/A

SUB: Danny Welbeck (87’ for Rogers)—N/A

Subs not used: Mike Penders (GK), Levi Colwill, Valentín Barco, Geovany Quenda, Jamie Gittens

What the Ratings Tell Us

Cole Palmer — Palmer couldn’t execute. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Kai Havertz just absolutely loves playing against his former club. An uninspiring career in west London has paved the way for a fruitful spell further north, with the German remaining Arsenal’s leading man up top despite last summer’s purchase of Viktor Gyökeres. Havertz has now scored three times against the Blues, more than any other club.
Arsenal’s juggernaut of a defense met Chelsea’s fearsome frontline head-on, and despite conceding for the first time this season, they’ll be content with their afternoon’s work. While Rogers found the back of the net, João Pedro and Cole Palmer’s contributions were relatively limited. This wasn’t a complete shutdown, though, and the aforementioned duo may depart the Emirates thinking that they’ve left some meat on the bone. There were glimmers of their brilliance, although seldom as a triumvirate.
It’s probably not at the forefront of his mind, but Martin Ødegaard is coming for that PFA Player of the Year award. His early-season magic continued on Sunday.

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal’s Early-Season Marker

Chelsea’s six first-half shots generated an xG of just 0.12, with the Blues testing David Raya from distance and Rogers’s volley crept beyond the Spaniard.
The Blues are the first team in Premier League history to score within five minutes in their opening three games of the season.
Arsenal were deserving of all three points, generating 2.11 xG in comparison to Chelsea’s 0.35.
The Blues failed to create a single big chance.

Statistic	Arsenal	Chelsea
Possession	55%	45%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.11	0.35
Total Shots	16	13
Shots on Target	9	5
Big Chances	4	0
Pass Accuracy	84%	82%
Fouls Committed	13	16
Corners	5	3

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