Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea player ratings: Ødegaard, Rogers shine as Palmer flop with 5/10

Arsenal claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates, recovering from Morgan Rogers’ early opener through Kai Havertz before Martin Ødegaard completed the comeback after half-time. Here is a concise assessment of both teams’ individual performances.

ARSENAL PLAYER RATING

David Raya — 6/10: Had little chance with Rogers’ excellent finish but remained composed afterwards and produced an outstanding late save to deny Estevão.

Ben White — 6/10: Reliable in possession and rarely troubled defensively, although his overall contribution was limited at both ends of the pitch.

Gabriel Magalhães — 7/10: Delivered a solid defensive display, handling Chelsea’s attacking threat effectively despite occasionally being overshadowed by Konsa.

Ezri Konsa — 7/10: Made an impressive first Arsenal start, winning several defensive battles and recovering possession consistently during the opening period.

Riccardo Calafiori — 7/10: Offered plenty of attacking intent with his movement inside and helped Arsenal create danger from set-piece situations.

Myles Lewis-Skelly — 6/10: Worked hard in midfield but wasted a late first-half chance and was briefly caught in possession in a dangerous position.

Declan Rice — 6/10: Battled strongly in a competitive midfield contest, contributing with his energy and intelligent work both with and without the ball.

Martin Ødegaard — 8/10: Produced the decisive finish shortly after half-time and consistently delivered quality from open play and dead-ball situations.

Bukayo Saka — 8/10: Remained a major threat throughout, particularly from set pieces, while forcing Chelsea into several dangerous fouls.

Kai Havertz — 7/10: Made amends for an earlier missed opportunity by finishing clinically against his former club and contributing to Ødegaard’s winner.

Christos Tzolis — 7/10: Provided an effective attacking outlet on the left, using his delivery and movement to trouble Chelsea during Arsenal’s counter-attacks.

Substitutes

Martin Zubimendi — 7/10: Made an immediate impact after coming on, combining strong passing with defensive interventions and dangerous attempts from distance.

Piero Hincapié — 6/10: Settled into the game without taking unnecessary risks as Arsenal concentrated on protecting their advantage.

Mikel Merino — 6/10: Added composure and energy to Arsenal’s midfield during the closing stages.

Viktor Gyökeres — 5/10: Had limited involvement after replacing Havertz as Arsenal focused primarily on maintaining their lead.

Noni Madueke: Came on in stoppage time and had too little time to influence proceedings.

CHELSEA PLAYER RATINGS

Emiliano Martínez — 5/10: Made a good second-half stop from Saka but was beaten at his near post for Havertz’s equaliser.

Josh Acheampong — 6/10: Was occasionally pulled out of position by Tzolis but remained competitive in his individual defensive work.

Maxence Lacroix — 6/10: Made an early error but recovered to produce several steadier moments in Chelsea’s defence.

Wesley Fofana — 6/10: Looked uncomfortable against Arsenal’s attacking trio but showed greater assurance when Chelsea had possession.

Pedro Neto — 7/10: Balanced defensive responsibilities with attacking ambition and struck the post with an excellent curling effort before half-time.

Reece James — 7/10: Offered Chelsea quality in possession and tested Raya with a powerful long-range effort.

Romeo Lavia — 6/10: Competed energetically in midfield and produced an important defensive header to remove danger.

Jorrel Hato — 6/10: Played a role in creating Rogers’ opener but found Saka difficult to contain defensively.

Cole Palmer — 5/10: Struggled to impose himself as Arsenal restricted his influence, despite registering efforts on target.

Morgan Rogers — 7/10: Gave Chelsea a dream start with a superb early volley and remained their most threatening attacking outlet.

João Pedro — 6/10: Worked tirelessly as Chelsea’s number nine, linking play effectively but offering little significant danger around goal.

Substitutes

Malo Gusto — 5/10: Found it difficult to influence the game after entering midfield and produced a poor effort shortly after coming on.

Pep Chavarría — 6/10: Worked hard defensively but occasionally lost track of Arsenal runners during Chelsea’s attempts to recover control.

Estevão Willian: Nearly rescued a point with a superb curling effort, only for Raya to produce an excellent save.

Danny Welbeck: Had too little time after his late introduction to make a meaningful contribution.