Arsenal fight back to defeat Chelsea 2-1

Arsenal produced a powerful comeback to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, ending their London rivals' unbeaten start to the Premier League season and reinforcing their credentials as title favourites.

The defending champions were stunned after just 77 seconds when Morgan Rogers fired Chelsea into an early lead in a frantic derby on Sunday.

Rather than allowing the setback to unsettle them, Arsenal responded with authority and gradually took control of the contest.

Kai Havertz restored parity midway through the first half against his former club before captain Martin Odegaard completed the turnaround shortly after half-time.

The victory leaves Arsenal with three wins from three league matches, putting them second behind Manchester City on goals scored and maintaining their perfect start.

It was another composed performance from Mikel Arteta's side, who are determined to become the first Arsenal team since the 1930s to win consecutive league titles.

For Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, however, the result was a reality check after an impressive opening to his reign at Stamford Bridge.

Alonso had overseen three consecutive victories in all competitions since taking charge during the close-season, but Chelsea struggled to maintain the attacking fluency that had produced big wins over Fulham, Luton and Brighton.

Their defensive weaknesses were again exposed, with Arsenal able to recover from the early blow and punish Chelsea when opportunities arose.

The defeat also highlighted the size of the challenge facing Alonso as Chelsea attempt to build a team capable of ending a Premier League title drought that stretches back to 2017.

The match carried an added personal dimension for the two managers, who have known each other since childhood after growing up in Spain's Basque region.

Arteta and Alonso played together as youngsters on a gravel pitch in the Berio district of San Sebastian, but their latest meeting was anything but friendly as their teams battled through an intense and physical encounter in north London.

Rogers had given Chelsea the perfect start after the Blues won the race to sign him from Aston Villa during the close-season.

Arsenal had also pursued the England midfielder but declined to match Chelsea's £117 million ($158 million) offer, which made Rogers the most expensive British player in history.

His early strike appeared to justify Chelsea's huge investment, but Arsenal's response ultimately proved decisive as the champions maintained their flawless league record.