Ian Wright says he was certain Arsenal would recover from an early setback and beat Chelsea after Mikel Arteta’s side secured a 2-1 comeback victory in Sunday’s derby.
The former Arsenal footballer shared his thoughts after Chelsea took the lead in the second minute through Morgan Rogers. Arsenal responded before half-time, with Kai Havertz equalising in the 25th minute.
Martin Ødegaard then completed the turnaround for the Gunners five minutes after the interval, scoring in the 50th minute to put Arsenal ahead for the first time.
“I was sure that Arsenal would come back and win against Chelsea,” Wright said.
The result gave Arsenal nine points from their opening three matches. Chelsea remain on six points after suffering defeat despite making the stronger start to the contest.
Arsenal’s victory was built around their response to conceding so early. Rogers’ goal put Chelsea in front after only two minutes, but Arsenal restored parity before the break through Havertz. Ødegaard’s second-half goal then secured all three points for Arteta’s team.
For Wright, the outcome reflected his confidence that Arsenal would not be unsettled by falling behind in the derby. His assessment came after a match in which Chelsea’s early advantage was overturned by two goals from the home side.
The scoreline also leaves Arsenal with a perfect record after three rounds, having collected the maximum nine points available. Chelsea’s total stands at six points following their defeat.
The match therefore produced a clear separation between the teams in the standings at this stage: Arsenal maintained their unbeaten start, while Chelsea were unable to preserve the lead established by Rogers.
Arteta’s side now have three victories from three matches, with Havertz and Ødegaard providing the goals that changed the course of the game after Rogers had given Chelsea the initiative.
For Wright, the decisive feature of the derby was Arsenal’s ability to respond. His confidence that the Gunners would recover was justified as Havertz levelled the score and Ødegaard struck five minutes into the second half.
Chelsea’s early goal had given them an immediate advantage, but Arsenal’s reaction ensured the visitors did not leave with a result. The 2-1 scoreline confirmed a comeback win for Arsenal and extended their run to nine points from their first three games.
The match was settled by the sequence of goals: Rogers put Chelsea ahead in the second minute, Havertz equalised in the 25th, and Ødegaard scored the winner in the 50th.
Wright’s comments underline the belief surrounding Arsenal after their latest result, while the points totals provide the clearest measure of the opening three rounds. Arsenal have taken nine points, compared with Chelsea’s six, after the Gunners turned a one-goal deficit into victory in Sunday’s derby.