Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes his team can reach a higher standard than the one that delivered the Premier League title last season after Sunday’s 2-1 win against Chelsea. Arsenal recovered from Morgan Rogers’ second-minute goal through Kai Havertz and captain Martin Ødegaard, leaving Arsenal and Manchester City as the only sides with three wins from three matches.
Arteta regarded the response to Chelsea’s early goal as one of the strongest parts of Arsenal’s performance. Rather than allowing the setback to disrupt their approach, Arsenal controlled the game and eventually overturned the deficit. “I think it was an exceptional performance. I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end, and the beginning was tough,” Arteta said. He added: “I think it’s an indication for us of how capable we are to perform at an even higher level than last season.”
The manager linked that potential to the standards Arsenal maintain away from match days. Arteta said the squad must retain its determination while remaining grounded and continuing to improve. “It depends on how we maintain and sustain that desire, that humbleness and continue every day to try to find a better version of myself and the team,” he said. “We still have a lot to grow and a lot to offer, and this is the ambition of the team.”
Arsenal’s attacking display also gave Arteta another reason for confidence. Havertz, Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka repeatedly combined to unsettle Chelsea’s defence, while new signing Christos Tzolis provided another option from the flank. The attacking improvement comes after Arsenal allowed Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard to leave during the summer.
Arteta particularly highlighted Ødegaard and Havertz after both players endured long periods out of action last season. Their availability alongside Saka has given Arsenal an attacking combination that had limited opportunities to develop previously. “Odegaard has a point to prove from last season after missing so much football,” Arteta said. “When that happens, Kai the same, Bukayo the same, we miss so many attacking players last season for long, long periods.”
The manager said Arsenal’s attacking players are now beginning to develop a stronger understanding on the pitch. He pointed to the limited number of occasions when the players had been able to operate together over the previous year. “I don’t know how many times they’ve played together those two in the last year or so, but probably not much, and when you start to feel the chemistry they have between them and what they can produce, it’s great,” Arteta said.
Chelsea suffered their first points loss of the campaign under Xabi Alonso after starting the season with positive results. The defeat exposed defensive problems that Alonso now wants to address, particularly after Chelsea conceded twice despite taking the lead almost immediately.
Alonso accepted the result but called for patience as Chelsea continue to develop under his management. “We want to start having clean sheets, they will come,” Alonso said. He also stressed that his players remain committed to the process: “The players are committed to working hard, to knowing that we’re on the way to compete in each game.”
Arsenal’s perfect start now gives Arteta’s side an early position alongside Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings. With the Champions League also approaching, Arsenal face a demanding schedule in which the manager’s emphasis on squad availability, consistency and maintaining last season’s standards will be tested.
