First blood to Arsenal in battle of the contenders as they recover superbly from early Chelsea strike

First big clash of the season : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Arsenal (1) 2 Havertz 25, Odegaard 50

Chelsea (1) 1 Rogers 2

A game of startling pace and intensity ended with Arsenal recovering from an early setback to maintain their recent hold over the Blues.

It was a match that had no right to be this good, this early in the season, but Arsenal in particular looked in no mood to let this opportunity pass to lay down an early reminder that they are the reigning champions.

They had to do it the hard way, after conceding for the first time this season moments into a blisteringly-paced encounter and they had the calmness, discipline and combinations to claim a key win.

The fulcrum was skipper Martin Odegaard, who scored the winner and kept gliding around, linking play and showing the form that was often beyond him last term when injury sometimes marred his contribution.

When he plays like this, the Gunners can look irresistible.

For Chelsea, it was a first defeat for Xabi Alonso in what has been a serene start to life in the Chelsea dugout up to now. His team are full of menace and they created chances but the hosts were more than worthy winners - having most of the ball and winning the xG count with ease.

So here is how it all unfolded.

With the game barely into its second minute, the man who Arsenal coveted this summer but ultimately allowed Chelsea to pinch had the Blues in front.

Reece James floated a free-kick into the box and after a spell of head tennis, the ball fell to the former Aston Villa striker just outside the box and his perfectly judged volley beat a diving David Raya.

Rogers was just one of many subplots, another being the return of the reviled Emi Martinez. The Argentinian keeper took a kick to the head from Gabriel during an early goalmouth scramble and was soon receiving home fan boos.

During a frantic start, Riccardo Calafiori thought he had equalised following another scramble after Declan Rice had chipped a ball into the danger zone that Joao Pedro missed in trying to clear. But VAR spotted an offside somewhere amid all this to rule it out. Ezri Konsa, on his home debut, was the one to have been deemed to be interfering.

Chances kept coming fast and furious. Cole Palmer and Reece James both had efforts from distance which tested David Raya. Kai Havertz slipped in Odegaard for a shot well blocked by Jorrel Hato..

Arsenal's impressive response to going a goal down was rewarded, though, when Havertz again scored against his old club - he bagged a late winner in last year's League cup clash between the sides. Cutting in from the right, his low shot to the near post had just enough direction and pace to defeat a slow reacting Martinez.

Chelsea came so close to bagging the lead in first half stoppage time when Joao Pedro released Pedro Neto for a charge into acres of empty space down the right and the final cut inside and shot came back off the far post.

The Gunners then got their noses in front at the start of the second half after Havertz dummied a ball in from the always-clever Havertz and Odegaard arrived to coolly slot home past an exposed Martinez.

It lifted the mood in the stands and on the pitch as Arsenal sensed a chance to move in for the kill. havertz's clever nudged pass gave Bukayo Saka a chance to bend a shot goalwards and a stretching Martinez turned it wide.

But Chelsea held on and gave themselves the puncher's chance at the end. Estevao came on and bent a beauty towards the top corner that the excellent Raya tipped over.

They will be pleased to have at least stayed in it, though Rogers will not have enjoyed his last moments. As he was subbed off, chants rained down from teasing home fans, saying he should have signed for a big club.

Arsenal now have four away games in a row to negotiate this month before they are next seen here at home to Leeds - starting with the first Euro group assignment at Napoli in midweek. They then play at Sunderland. Chelsea, unencumbered by foreign travels, host Leeds in the League Cup on Wednesday and Hull in the league next Saturday.

Gunners: (4-2-3-1) Raya - White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori (Hincapie 66) - Rice, Lewis-Skelly (Zubimendi 66) - Saka (Madueke 90), Odegaard (Merino 78), Tzolis - Havertz (Gyokeres 78)

Blues: (3-4-2-1) Martinez - Fofana, Acheampong, Lacroix - Pedro Neto (Estevao 81), James, Lavia (Gusto 60), Hato (Chavarria 60) - Palmer, Rogers (Welbeck 87) - Joao Pedro