Arsenal came from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, in a fiercely contested encounter that offered plenty of drama and a reminder of both sides' credentials in the title race.
Kai Havertz was again the chief protagonist against his former club, netting for the third time in the Premier League since his move from Chelsea, while also playing a key role in setting up Martin Odegaard's decisive strike shortly after the hour mark had passed the half-hour.
Chelsea made the perfect start, taking the lead inside two minutes. A deep free-kick from Reece James caused chaos in the Arsenal box after the hosts failed to clear their lines. Declan Rice's header did not carry enough distance, Odegaard lost out in the scramble for the second ball, and Morgan Rogers - lurking on the edge of the area - drilled a volley beyond goalkeeper David Raya, who appeared slightly late to react.
The visitors nearly doubled their advantage moments later when Riccardo Calafiori turned the ball into his own net following another goalmouth scramble, but the effort was ruled out after VAR identified an offside position against Ezri Konsa in the build-up.
Arsenal responded with chances of their own. Emiliano Martinez produced a fine save to deny Bukayo Saka after a clever pass from Odegaard, while Wesley Fofana was alert enough to block a first-time effort from Havertz. At the other end, James and Cole Palmer both tested Raya from distance, and Joao Pedro came agonisingly close to making it 2-0, sliding just short of connecting with a Palmer cross.
Despite Chelsea's threat, it was Arsenal who found the equaliser before the interval. Havertz picked up possession near the right touchline and carried the ball infield with minimal resistance from the Chelsea defence, before slotting a low finish between the legs of Maxence Lacroix and past Martinez at his near post.
Chelsea nearly regained the lead right before half-time when Pedro Neto surged down the right flank, cut inside, and struck the post - a warning sign of the space Arsenal were still conceding.
The second half belonged to the hosts, though, as they turned the contest in their favour with a well-constructed goal in the 50th minute. Christos Tzolis found space out wide and threaded a pass into the penalty area, which Havertz cleverly let run through his legs rather than control. The dummy wrong-footed Chelsea's defense and allowed Odegaard, arriving at pace, to fire home the winner.
From there, Arsenal pressed for a third goal as Chelsea's defensive structure began to fray under sustained pressure. Martinez was called upon again, tipping away a dangerous Saka effort that was heading for the far corner. At the other end, Raya produced the save of the match, palming away a curling attempt from substitute Estevao with a spectacular one-handed stop - the best opportunity Chelsea created in the second period.
The result extended Arsenal's dominance over Chelsea at the Emirates, where the visitors had previously lost four consecutive league fixtures, conceding 11 goals in that span. This time, though, Chelsea offered a much stiffer challenge than in recent meetings, with their front line of Palmer, Joao Pedro and Rogers continuing to show flashes of quality that suggest they could be genuine contenders this season.
For manager Xabi Alonso, questions remain over how to balance that attacking talent with defensive solidity, as his side continues to look vulnerable in transition despite their firepower going forward. Arsenal, by contrast, showed the resilience and quality that could prove crucial in their pursuit of the title.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.