Arsenal come from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1

The Gunners’ mature display underlined their desire to win the club’s first back-to-back titles since the 1930s.

For Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso, the defeat ended his three-game winning run in all competitions since taking charge at Stamford Bridge in the close-season.

Alonso will realise just how much work Chelsea still have to do before they are in position to end a title drought dating back to 2017.

Chelsea’s shaky defence is prone to costly miscues, while their vaunted attack found it harder to flourish against Arsenal than in their free-scoring wins over Fulham, Luton and Brighton.

Arteta and Alonso have known each other since their days as childhood friends in the Basque region of Spain.

The chaotic matches of their youth on a gravel pitch in the Berio district of San Sebastian would have seemed calm in comparison to the blood and thunder their teams brought to a raucous corner of north London.

Chelsea beat Arsenal in the race to sign Rogers from Aston Villa in the close-season after the Gunners refused to match the Blues’ £117-million bid for the England midfielder.

Rogers showed why Chelsea made him the most expensive British player in history as he put the Blues ahead after just 77 seconds.

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