Martin Odegaard and Ezri Konsa reacted after Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1, with the Gunners creating all four big chances.
Martin Odegaard and Ezri Konsa praised Arsenal’s response after the champions came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, securing a sixth successive home victory over their London rivals.
Arsenal were behind inside two minutes when Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea the lead, but the early setback did little to alter the direction of the game.
The hosts gradually took control before Kai Havertz equalised against his former club in the 25th minute.
Odegaard completed the comeback five minutes after the interval, scoring in the 50th minute to put Arsenal ahead for the first time.
The numbers supported the result.
Arsenal had 55 per cent possession, took 16 shots to Chelsea’s 13 with nine on target compared with five from the visitors. More significantly, Arsenal created all four of the game’s big chances and finished with 2.11 expected goals to Chelsea’s 0.35.
They also had 44 touches in the Chelsea penalty area compared with 25 at the other end, while Chelsea’s goalkeeper was required to make eight saves.
David Raya made four.
Konsa, making his home debut, was delighted with both the reception he received and the result.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I felt at home since the first moment I joined, the boys have been top, the staff have been top. Buzzing to make my debut at home and three points is the most important.”
On Arsenal’s reaction to going behind, Konsa added: “It’s part of football, it’s all about how you react. Over here I know we are big on clean sheets but we reacted fantastically.”
Konsa also enjoyed a strong challenge on his former team-mate Rogers, which drew a response from the crowd.
“It got the crowd going,” he said. “If you get it wrong it is bad but if you get it right it’s always a good feeling. On another day I think we score three or four.”
That final point was borne out by Arsenal’s chance creation. They generated 1.45 xG from open play and 0.66 from set pieces, while Chelsea recorded only 0.28 and 0.07 respectively.
Odegaard was similarly pleased with Arsenal’s ability to recover after conceding so early.
“It was a big game, massive game, tough opponent and we got there in the end so brilliant,” he said.
“Our mentality is to keep fighting. We have shown that many times. We never want to concede early but the reaction is top. We got our reward in the end and the response was brilliant. We showed our quality with and without the ball and the result reflects that.
Asked about his understanding with Havertz, the Arsenal captain said: “He’s a really smart player, he moves so well and takes a lot of attention from the defenders and it was a brilliant goal.”
Former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson also felt the strength of the home side ultimately told.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “Well, you have to start by complimenting Chelsea in terms of the account they gave away from home at the champions.
“I felt the team had grit, resilience, they scrapped and they worked really hard.
“But the machine that Arsenal is right now is pretty formidable.
“They are hitting targets that means they are the best. They added a sparkle, energy and freedom.”
Chris Sutton went further in his assessment of Arsenal’s current level.
“I can’t see anyone stopping Arsenal.
“They’re such a powerhouse.
“Chelsea are a good team, but Arsenal always find a way to win.
“Can you stop Arsenal? I don’t think they [other Premier League teams] can.”
- Odegaard and Konsa react to ‘brilliant’ win over ChelseaMartin Odegaard and Ezri Konsa reacted after Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1, with the Gunners creating all four big chances.
- The stats behind Arsenal’s dominance of ChelseaArsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates, but the underlying numbers show a far more dominant display than the scoreline suggests.
- Gabriel Martinelli makes Al-Hilal debutGabriel Martinelli made his Al-Hilal debut less than 24 hours after leaving Arsenal, coming off the bench in a 2-0 Riyadh derby victory.
- Arsenal v Chelsea teams announcedArsenal welcome Chelsea to the Emirates on Sunday and we now know how the two teams will line up.
- Renee Slegers reacts to Arsenal’s win at BrightonRenee Slegers reacts after Arsenal Women opened their WSL season with a 1-0 win at Brighton, sealed by a debut goal from Lisa Baum.