Maxence Lacroix believes Chelsea deserved to take a point from their recent Premier League derby against Arsenal, despite the Gunners winning 2-1.
Chelsea made the stronger start at the home of Arsenal and went ahead after only two minutes. Morgan Rogers put the visitors in front, giving Xabi Alonso’s side an early advantage in the match.
Arsenal responded before half-time, with Kai Havertz scoring in the 25th minute to bring the home side level. Martin Ødegaard then completed the turnaround five minutes after the interval, finding the net in the 50th minute to put Arsenal 2-1 ahead.
That proved to be the decisive goal as Arsenal held on for victory. Lacroix, who plays at centre-back for Chelsea, felt the result did not reflect his team’s performance and judged that a draw would have been a fairer outcome.
The defeat left Alonso’s team with six points from their opening three Premier League matches. Chelsea had therefore collected two wins’ worth of points from their first three games, but the loss to Arsenal prevented them from adding to that total in the derby.
For Arsenal, the victory represented a comeback after falling behind in the opening stages. Rogers’ early strike gave Chelsea the advantage, but goals from Havertz and Ødegaard ensured that the hosts took all three points.
Chelsea were unable to restore parity after Ødegaard’s goal, leaving Lacroix and his team to reflect on a match in which they had led but ultimately finished empty-handed. His assessment was that Chelsea had done enough to avoid defeat and should have left with a share of the points.
The Premier League result means Alonso’s side remain on six points after three rounds, while Arsenal’s 2-1 success came after overcoming Chelsea’s early lead. The match was settled by the two goals scored by the home side after Rogers had opened the scoring for the visitors.
Lacroix’s view provides Chelsea’s perspective on a closely contested derby in which the outcome turned on Arsenal’s response to the early setback. Chelsea’s first-minute pressure produced the opening goal in the second minute, but Arsenal’s goals in the 25th and 50th minutes changed the course of the game.
Despite the defeat, Chelsea had already accumulated six points from their first three league fixtures under Alonso. Their latest result, however, was a disappointment for the visitors, who had been in front before Arsenal recovered to secure a 2-1 win.