Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal can reach an even higher standard after the Premier League champions delivered a powerful message to their title competitors by recovering from a goal down to defeat Chelsea on Sunday.
Arteta’s players found themselves under pressure at the Emirates Stadium after Morgan Rogers became the first opponent to score against them this season. However, Arsenal responded superbly. Kai Havertz levelled the score before producing an intelligent dummy that allowed the revitalised Martin Ødegaard to put his team 2-1 ahead, moving Arsenal level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
“The performance was outstanding,” Arteta said. “I loved every moment, even though the opening period was difficult. The players reacted brilliantly, showing belief, determination and quality. It was wonderful to watch and a truly absorbing match.
“This shows that we have the ability to perform at an even better level than we did last season. The key is maintaining that hunger and humility while working each day to improve both individually and collectively. There is still plenty of room for us to develop, and we believe we have much more to give. That is the ambition within this squad.”
Arsenal and City are the only teams to have won each of their opening three matches, which Arteta views as a sign that this season’s competition will be even more demanding. “It will be extremely difficult because matches are decided by such narrow margins,” he said.
“Our visit to Villa Park a few days ago was very challenging, and this match was just as tough. Going to Sunderland will present another major test. We understand that every week will bring this level of difficulty, but that is exactly what we prepare for.”
Arteta was particularly pleased with Ødegaard’s excellent performance in midfield. After struggling with injuries during the past two years, the Arsenal captain now appears fully fit and has begun the season by scoring three times in four appearances.
“His confidence appears to be as high as I have ever seen it,” Arteta said of the Norwegian. “After missing so much football last season, he also feels that he has something to demonstrate. Kai is in a similar position. They probably have not played together very often during the past three years. Martin is enjoying himself again, making forward runs, taking shots and creating opportunities for his teammates.”
Arteta also praised Havertz following the German’s impressive display against his former club, while expressing hope that Cristhian Mosquera will recover quickly from a muscle injury. “He appears comfortable and content, and some wonderful things have happened in his personal life,” Arteta said. “He is in good physical condition, looks happy and is finding the net.”
Arsenal left the match in celebratory mood, while Chelsea were forced to consider why they had fallen short. The visitors showed promise going forward, but defensive weaknesses resulted in their first loss under Xabi Alonso. His new side have now allowed seven goals across their opening three league fixtures.
“Winning matches is my main objective, and that becomes easier when you concede fewer goals,” Alonso said. “It is an area we must improve. We need to become more compact, efficient and balanced, although achieving that will require time.
“We arrived determined to compete and win. There was not a huge difference between the teams, but the decisive moments went in their favour. We had an opportunity to move 2-1 ahead, and the match might then have developed differently. Still, we accept the final score. The defeat is painful, but it is only our first loss in what will be a long process, and it will not significantly affect the group’s confidence.”
Chelsea have failed to record a clean sheet in their previous 19 league matches, but Alonso insisted he did not want his players to adopt an entirely defensive approach. “My aim is to compete in the strongest possible way and secure victories,” he said. “We did not come here intending to defend deep from the opening whistle, slow the contest down and simply wait. We wanted to play proactively, lead the pressing at different heights and control possession effectively. We did many things well, but we must raise our level further.”
Alonso is hopeful that Moisés Caicedo’s injury will not prove serious after the midfielder was unavailable for the match. Caicedo has yet to be named in the starting lineup this season, and his participation in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup meeting with Leeds on Wednesday remains uncertain.
“We have to evaluate the potential danger,” Alonso said. “We may have brought him back too soon last week, and I do not want to repeat that error.”
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