If Chelsea turn out to be real title challengers, Arsenal have already proved they have the capacity to run away with the league. No hyperbole.
On another day, the scoreline could have been wider for the Gunners.
A solid backline against a prolific attack was how this contest had been billed, Chelsea’s CPR trio of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers out there to take the game to Arsenal’s defence.
Yet the dominant way in which Arsenal picked Chelsea apart reflected a team who see a door wide open to capitalise on the state of flux currently troubling the rest of the Big Six.
The failure to land a marquee forward before the transfer window closed did not blunt Mikel Arteta’s side. They created plenty, and were hellbent on attacking in the final third.
Despite lifting the title last season, Arsenal were often accused of being too defensive, afraid of putting their foot on the throat when ahead because of the risks it entailed.
Arsenal produced a dominant display as they picked Chelsea apart after a shift in playing style
Mikel Arteta appears to have ditched the safety-first approach that won them the league title
The opposite transpired here. Gaps were left on the counter for Chelsea to exploit, but the home team cared little.
They kept marching forward in the belief that goals would come. Two did, eventually, through Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz. Many more will arrive in future matches, if this style of play is embraced going forward.
Riccardo Calafiori struck, his goal ruled out for offside, while Arsenal also squandered a number of chances. Most of these fell to Havertz in the first half, who rebounded well to put in a strong performance across the match.
It had shades of the 2022-23 campaign, in which Arsenal would blitz opponents when the opportunities presented themselves.
It is certainly a much more exciting brand of football than fans have been accustomed to in recent seasons, a safety-first approach the ploy which ultimately led Arteta’s team to a first league title in 22 years.
The desire Arteta has to build upon last season’s triumph was clear in his words afterwards.
He said: ‘I think it’s an indication for us of how capable we are to perform at an even higher level than last season. It depends on how we maintain and sustain that desire, that humbleness and continue every day to try to find a better version of myself and the team.
‘We still have a lot to grow and a lot to offer, and this is the ambition of the team.’
The evidence points to a shift in playing style. The psychological burden of constantly finishing second is no longer there. The Arsenal players and staff know and believe they have the capacity to become champions again.
We could now see a more free-flowing side that punish opponents whenever they can. And that is a rather exciting prospect for Arsenal fans and neutrals alike.
If Arteta’s men do achieve this going forward, the number of teams capable of stopping them thin out dramatically.
Their watertight defence is well-documented, and further bolstered by the acquisition of Ezri Konsa.
He had the crowd on their feet with a crunching tackle on Rogers after 56 minutes, the forward’s eyes lighting up with the space ahead of him — before being fairly cleaned out by an accurate sliding challenge.
Arteta would later describe the action as a ‘very English tackle’; it stopped Rogers dead in his tracks.
Martin Odegaard scored the winner for Arsenal and is a key man for Arteta this season
But let’s go back to the attack. On paper the lack of depth on the left wing may not be ideal. That issue can be papered over, though, when Arsenal play like this.
Just as promisingly, Martin Odegaard’s form has continued. He has already doubled his league goal tally from last season. The stop-start nature of the previous couple of seasons— largely due to injury — look to be behind him.
There’s almost a hunger to make up for lost time, constantly looking for intricate pass to assist players, and a desire to try get into the box. If Arsenal can keep him ticking along, that will be a massive boost.
A final word on Rogers, who exited the field on 87 minutes to cries from the home fans of ‘you should’ve signed for a big club’.
He had looked sharp, threatening Arsenal’s backline on breaks forward. His strike on two minutes was an early reminder of just why the Gunners chased him across the summer.
But, as Arsenal demonstrated, they may already have enough artillery to blow the rest of the league away.
