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Arsenal Overcome Chelsea in Premier League Derby
Confirmed
In Short: Arsenal secured a hard-fought victory over Chelsea in their London derby, with both teams starting the season with perfect records.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is looking forward to facing longtime friend Xabi Alonso, who now leads Chelsea, in their first meeting of the season. Both teams have started the campaign with six points each, but Arsenal's win over Chelsea was crucial for maintaining their unbeaten streak.
Arteta emphasized the importance of controlling the flow of the game against Chelsea, while Alonso focused on the future, starting with Sunday's match at Emirates Stadium. Chelsea's attack has been impressive, with Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, and Cole Palmer finding form, but Arteta believes Arsenal must manage the game effectively.
Chelsea's pursuit of midfielder Lamine Camara collapsed when Monaco backed out, leaving the team with limited options in midfield. Reece James, who began his career as a right-back, struggled to track Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, leading to the latter's winning goal. Former Manchester United and England player Ashley Young warned that Chelsea's reliance on right-backs in midfield could be a concern.
Despite spending close to £350m in the transfer window, Arsenal have started the season strongly, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard scoring in their opening games. Former Premier League winner Chris Sutton believes Arsenal are still ahead of the rest, while Havertz expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete with Chelsea.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Chelsea had hoped to offset Fernandez’s exit by bringing in midfielder Lamine Camara from Monaco, but that move collapsed when the Ligue 1 side backed out having not signed a deal sheet before the window closed.
- Alonso, though, insists his focus is on the future, starting with Sunday’s trip across London to Premier League champions Arsenal, when Chelsea will be bidding to maintain their 100 percent start to the new campaign.
- Arteta, however, brushed off suggestions that Arsenal had fallen short in the market.
- Champions Arsenal come from behind to beat Chelsea Chelsea ended Sunday's 2-1 defeat by champions Arsenal with two players who began their careers as right-backs alongside each other in midfield.
- " Chelsea don't have European football this season so they're playing less games and can concentrate on the Premier League. But the worry is you're finishing a game against the champions, and you've got two right-backs in midfield," Ashley Young told BBC Sport.
- Chelsea also had bids of up to £64m rejected for Bournemouth 's Alex Scott earlier in the summer and were prevented from signing France international Manu Kone after Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini blocked the move.
- Chelsea said they pursued Camara because of a market opportunity, adding that they were satisfied with their summer business and retained faith in their current options.
- Natural midfielder Valentin Barco, who joined from Strasbourg in the summer, has been overlooked in favour of Gusto in all three of Chelsea 's Premier League matches.