Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea Player Ratings: Saka & Ødegaard star as CPR lost chemistry

Arsenal came from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates in an entertaining contest that produced contrasting moments for both sides.

Chelsea made the brighter start when Morgan Rogers struck inside the opening two minutes, but Arsenal gradually settled into the match and found a response through Kai Havertz, who punished his former club to restore parity.

The game remained closely contested, with both teams creating opportunities before the hosts gained control after the interval.

Martin Ødegaard ultimately proved decisive, scoring early in the second half to complete Arsenal’s comeback and secure all three points.

Bukayo Saka also played a prominent role in the home side’s attacking efforts, while Chelsea saw strong contributions from Rogers, Pedro Neto and Reece James despite their team leaving north London empty-handed.

Arsenal player ratings

David Raya — 6/10: Could do little about Rogers’ excellent opener but remained dependable afterwards and produced an excellent late stop to deny Estevão.

Ben White — 6/10: Kept things neat when Arsenal had possession and defended adequately, though he was not especially influential going forward.

Gabriel Magalhães — 7/10: Offered a dependable presence at the back, winning important challenges and helping Arsenal contain Chelsea’s attacking movements.

Ezri Konsa — 7/10: Enjoyed an impressive first start for Arsenal, competing strongly in duels and showing good awareness when recovering possession.

Riccardo Calafiori — 7/10: Continued to attack aggressively from the left, with his movement and set-piece involvement creating problems for Chelsea.

Myles Lewis-Skelly — 6/10: Put in plenty of effort in midfield but was guilty of one dangerous loss of possession and missed a good shooting opportunity.

Declan Rice — 7/10: Put in a disciplined shift during a physical midfield battle, helping Arsenal compete effectively in possession and defensively.

Martin Ødegaard — 8/10: Delivered the winning moment with a composed second-half finish and was consistently dangerous with his passing and set-piece deliveries.

Bukayo Saka — 8/10: Caused Chelsea problems throughout, particularly from dead balls, and came close to adding another goal with a powerful second-half effort.

Kai Havertz — 7/10: Recovered from an early missed chance to score Arsenal’s equaliser and subsequently contributed to the move that produced Ødegaard’s winner.

Christos Tzolis — 7/10: Offered Arsenal a lively outlet on the left, using his pace and delivery effectively whenever the hosts moved forward.

Substitutes

Martin Zubimendi — 7/10: Made a strong impact from the bench, combining accurate distribution with defensive work and testing Chelsea with his shooting.

Piero Hincapié — 6/10: Kept his performance straightforward after replacing Calafiori, helping Arsenal maintain their defensive shape.

Mikel Merino — 6/10: Added composure in midfield during the closing stages as Arsenal concentrated on seeing out the result.

Viktor Gyökeres — 5/10: Entered with little time to make an impression as Arsenal prioritised protecting their advantage.

Noni Madueke: Arrived in stoppage time and had virtually no opportunity to affect the contest.

Chelsea player ratings

Emiliano Martínez — 6/10: Produced a quality save to deny Saka but will be disappointed with how easily Havertz found the near-post finish.

Josh Acheampong — 5/10: Had a difficult tactical assignment against Tzolis but generally stood up well in his direct defensive battles.

Maxence Lacroix — 5/10: Made an early mistake but improved as the game progressed and produced some useful defensive interventions.

Wesley Fofana — 5/10: Struggled at times against Arsenal’s attacking quality but remained Chelsea’s more composed defender when building from the back.

Pedro Neto — 7/10: Worked hard on both sides of the ball and came within inches of scoring with a superb curling attempt against the post.

Reece James — 6/10: Was one of Chelsea’s more assured players in possession and tested Raya with a well-struck effort from distance.

Romeo Lavia — 6/10: Competed energetically in midfield and showed good defensive awareness with an important headed clearance.

Jorrel Hato — 5/10: Helped create the opening goal and worked diligently defensively, although Saka caused him problems on several occasions.

Cole Palmer — 5/10: Found it difficult to influence proceedings as Arsenal successfully limited his space and opportunities around the penalty area.

Morgan Rogers — 7/10: Made an explosive start with a fine first-time volley and remained Chelsea’s biggest attacking threat for much of the evening.

João Pedro — 6/10: Worked hard as the central striker, using his physicality and link-up play well despite limited chances to score.

Substitutes

Malo Gusto — 5/10: Could not make a significant impact after moving into an unfamiliar central midfield role and struggled to influence the game.

Pep Chavarría — 6/10: Provided energy after coming on but was occasionally caught out when Arsenal players made runs beyond him.

Estevão Willian: Almost produced a late equaliser with a spectacular curling strike, but Raya’s excellent save kept Arsenal ahead.

Danny Welbeck: Introduced very late and had insufficient time to make a meaningful contribution.