If Chelsea prove to be real title challengers, Arsenal have already proven that they have the ability to run away with the competition. No hyperbole.
On another day the scoreline could have been wider for the Gunners.
A solid backline against a productive attack was how this match was billed, Chelsea’s CPR trio Cole PalmerJoao Pedro and Morgan Rogers are there to take the game to Arsenal’s defence.
Yet the dominant manner in which Arsenal took Chelsea apart reflected a team that sees the door wide open to take advantage of the changing state the rest of the Big Six currently suffers from.
The inability to land a marquee forward before the transfer window closed did not blunt Mikel Arteta‘s side. They created a lot and were determined to attack in the final third.
Despite winning the title last season, Arsenal were often accused of being too defensive and afraid to put their foot to their throat when in the lead because of the risks that entailed.
Arsenal produced a dominant performance as they took Chelsea apart after a shift in playing style
Mikel Arteta appears to have left behind the ‘safety first’ approach that won them the league title
Here the opposite happened. There were gaps on the counter that Chelsea could take advantage of, but the home team didn’t care much.
They kept marching forward with the belief that goals would come. Two eventually did, via Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz. If this style of play is embraced in the future, there will be many more to come in future matches.
Riccardo Calafiori struck, his goal was disallowed for offside, while Arsenal also squandered a number of chances. Most of these fell to Havertz in the first half, who recovered well and put in a strong performance throughout the match.
It had shades of the 2022-2023 season, where Arsenal crushed opponents when the opportunities presented themselves.
It is certainly a much more exciting brand of football than fans have been used to in recent seasons. Safety first, the tactic that ultimately led Arteta’s team to their first league title in 22 years.
Arteta’s desire to build on last season’s triumph was evident in his words afterwards.
He said: “I think this is an indication for us of how capable we are of performing at an even higher level than last season. It depends on how we maintain and maintain that desire, that humility and continue to try every day to find a better version of myself and the team.
“We still have a lot to grow and a lot to offer, and this is the ambition of the team.”
The evidence points to a shift in playing style. The psychological burden of constantly coming in second place is no longer there. Arsenal’s players and staff know and believe they have the capacity to become champions again.
We could now see a more free-flowing side that punishes opponents whenever they can. And that’s quite an exciting prospect for Arsenal fans and neutrals alike.
If Arteta’s men achieve this in the future, the number of teams that can stop them will decrease dramatically.
Their watertight defense is well documented and is further strengthened by the acquisition of Ezri Konsa.
He got the crowd on their feet with a blistering tackle on Rogers on 56 minutes, the striker’s eyes lighting up with the space in front of him – before being fairly cleared by a precise slide challenge.
Arteta would later describe the action as a ‘very English tackle’; it stopped Rogers dead in his tracks.
Martin Odegaard scored the winner for Arsenal and has been a key figure for Arteta this season
But let’s get back to the attack. On paper, the lack of depth on the left wing may not be ideal. However, that problem can be solved if Arsenal play like this.
Just as promisingly, Martin Odegaard’s form has continued. He has already doubled his number of league goals from last season. The stop-start nature of previous seasons – largely due to injuries – seems to be behind him.
There is almost a hunger to make up for lost time, constantly looking for complicated passes to help players, and a desire to try and get into the box. If Arsenal can keep him going it will be a huge boost.
A final word on Rogers, who left the field after 87 minutes to shouts from the home fans: “You should have signed for a big club.”
He looked sharp and threatened Arsenal’s backline when making breakthroughs. His strike on two minutes was an early reminder of why the Gunners chased him all summer.
But as Arsenal have shown, they may already have enough artillery to blow away the rest of the league.
