There are wins that protect momentum, and there are wins that tell a manager something bigger about his team. Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Emirates Stadium felt like the second kind for Mikel Arteta, who left Sunday's London derby convinced his side had shown more than just the ability to keep a perfect start alive.
On Sunday, Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at Emirates Stadium to maintain their 100% start to the Premier League season, and Arteta was not trying to downplay the significance. In his post-match press conference, he called it an exceptional performance and said he had enjoyed every minute from beginning to end. That kind of language matters because this was not simply a case of Arsenal grinding through a difficult fixture. It was a match in which Arteta felt the team showed conviction, determination, quality and intent.
What Arteta Took From the Performance
The manager's biggest point was not only that Arsenal won, but that they did so with a level of control and personality that suggested they can go higher than last season. Arteta said the display was an indication that the team are capable of performing even higher than they did last season, which is a notable message this early in the campaign. It is one thing to preserve a perfect record. It is another to convince your coach that the team is still expanding its level.
That is especially relevant in a league where staying unbeaten is never simple. Arteta referenced the difficulty of remaining unbeaten in the Premier League, and that is the right frame for this result. A 2-1 win against Chelsea is not just three points; it is evidence that Arsenal can absorb pressure, respond to setbacks and still impose themselves in a high-profile match.
Odegaard, Havertz and the Personal Side of Form
Arteta also spoke about Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, and his comments were encouraging. On Odegaard, he said the midfielder feels fit and that confidence-wise this is the highest he has seen him. He added that Odegaard looks happy and settled, and noted that some great things have happened in his personal life as well. That is a useful reminder that form is not always only about structure or tactics; sometimes it is about a player reaching a better emotional and physical place at the same time.
Havertz was also part of the wider conversation around Arsenal's performance, with Arteta including him among the players central to the team's current level. The broader point is that Arsenal's start is not being built on one storyline alone. It is built on multiple players offering rhythm, confidence and consistency at the same time.
Next up, Arsenal travel to Sunderland, and that is where the challenge becomes familiar in a different way. A perfect start creates belief, but it also creates pressure to repeat the standard. If Arteta is right, this performance was more than a strong night in N5. It was a sign that Arsenal may still have another gear to find.
