Arsenal's Title Credentials Shine as Havertz and Odegaard Sink Chelsea

Arsenal spent close to £200 million on new players over the summer, yet the reinforcements they truly wanted never arrived. Julian Alvarez stayed at Atletico Madrid. Morgan Rogers chose Chelsea instead. Bradley Barcola went to Liverpool. Vinicius Jr. remained at Real Madrid. The Gunners, defending their first Premier League title in 22 years, would have to make do with what they had—and what they had, it turned out, was enough.

Three games into the season, Arsenal had collected nine points without conceding more than a single goal. They had dismantled Coventry on the opening day, ground out a win at Aston Villa, and on Sunday, they came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in a match that felt like a statement. Chelsea, who had spent roughly £350 million since the previous season ended, took the lead after just 120 seconds through Morgan Rogers. But Arsenal responded with the kind of composure that marks a team built to win. Kai Havertz equalized before halftime. Martin Odegaard, the captain, scored the winner in the 50th minute. Two players who had been at the club for years—Havertz since 2023, Odegaard since 2021—delivered when it mattered most.

Odegaard has been transformed this season. Last year he managed a single goal across 36 appearances. This campaign, he has already scored three times in four games across all competitions. After the Chelsea match, he spoke with the clarity of a player rediscovering his form. "Our mentality is to keep fighting," he said. "We never want to concede early, but the reaction is top. We got our reward in the end and the response was brilliant." He noted that Arsenal had shown their quality both with and without possession, and that the result reflected their actual performance. The winning goal came from a precise pass by Riccardo Calafiori, the left-back who has emerged as a crucial player in Mikel Arteta's system.

Havertz, the German forward, praised Odegaard's return to form. "He's an unbelievable player," Havertz said. "He's going to help us a lot this season." The connection between Odegaard, Bukayo Saka on the right wing, and Havertz himself has become a focal point of Arsenal's attack—three players who know each other's movements and can operate with the kind of fluidity that comes only from time together. Former Manchester United player Ashley Young, analyzing the match for BBC Sport, highlighted this chemistry. "It's just good to see when you've got players that know each other and build relationships in that way," he said. He also noted Calafiori's intelligent positioning, how the defender takes opponents out of play with his movement and allows Arsenal to build attacks from deep.

Arsenal's opening three games have produced a statistical rarity. They have won all three while conceding fewer than two goals—a feat achieved only twice before in the club's top-flight history: in 1924-25, when they finished 20th, and in 2003-04, when they went the entire season unbeaten. They have now won eight league games in a row stretching back to the previous campaign. Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton, speaking to BBC Sport, was unequivocal about what he sees. "I can't see anyone stopping Arsenal," he said. "They're such a powerhouse. Chelsea are a good team, but Arsenal always find a way to win."

It is early in the season, and Arteta's team will face stiffer tests. But the message Arsenal have sent is clear: they are not a team in transition or rebuilding. They are a team that lost the players they wanted and responded by winning with the players they have. Havertz spoke of heading to Italy with confidence high after dispatching Chelsea, his former club. Arsenal travel to Napoli on Wednesday to begin their Champions League campaign, then face Sunderland in the league on Saturday. The question now is not whether they can compete for the title—nine points from three games, one goal conceded, and the two biggest players on the pitch delivering when it mattered most, suggests they already are—but whether anyone else can catch them.