By OkayGoal
Mikel Arteta admitted it was “an absolute joy” to watch his Arsenal team come from behind to beat London rivals Chelsea to maintain their winning start to the defence of their Premier League title.
Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard scored the goals in a 2-1 win after Arteta’s side had fallen behind after just 77 seconds, courtesy of a strike from a summer target of Arsenal, Morgan Rogers.
In a pulsating clash at the Emirates that lived up to the pre-match billing, the Gunners saw off the challenge of a Blues team who, under new boss Xabi Alonso, have themselves enjoyed a positive start to the campaign.
Arteta thrilled with performance
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, a jubilant Arteta hailed the performance of his team, despite the early set-back.
“I was very disappointed with the way we conceded the first goal. Bu as well, credit to them [Chelsea] and the finish that Morgan [Rogers] had,” the Gunners’ boss said.
“But the way we reacted, the way we played was a fascinating game. From start to finish, it was an absolute joy to watch our team play and compete. The composure, the personality, the threat that we generated – some huge individual performances as well.
“The atmosphere inside the stadium is something great to witness.”
The result means the champions are level on points with rivals Manchester City – the only two sides with 100% records in the top flight.
Next up for Arteta’s men is a midweek trip to Naples to face Napoli in their Champions League opener before facing Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.