Arteta Backs Arsenal to Surpass Title-Winning Level as Chelsea's Defensive Woes Deepen

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal can reach an even higher level than last season's title-winning campaign, after his side came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in a statement victory that also exposed a growing defensive crisis at Stamford Bridge.

"I think it was an exceptional performance. I enjoyed every minute of it from the beginning to the end, and the beginning was tough," Arteta said after goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard overturned Morgan Rogers' early opener. "It's an indication for us of how capable we are to perform at an even higher level than last season, and it depends on how we maintain and sustain that desire." The win took Arsenal to nine points from three matches, level with Manchester City, though it also marked the first goal conceded by Arteta's side this season.

For Chelsea, the defeat deepened an alarming defensive slide. The Blues have now conceded seven goals in three league matches and have gone 19 consecutive Premier League games without a clean sheet, their longest such run since a 31-match sequence in the old First Division between 1960 and 1961. Rogers' early strike also made Chelsea the first team in Premier League history to score inside the first five minutes of their opening three matches of a season, but the goals continue to leak at the other end under new head coach Xabi Alonso, despite an eventful summer that saw the club make 11 signings worth £349 million.