Arsenal have made a powerful early statement in the Premier League title race. The Gunners came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 6, 2026, maintaining their perfect start to the campaign.
Morgan Rogers stunned Arsenal with an early goal in the second minute. However, Kai Havertz restored parity before Martin Odegaard completed the comeback in the second half.
The result gives Arsenal nine points from their opening three matches.
More importantly, the victory raises an interesting question. Can Arsenal win the Premier League again even if Kai Havertz is not regarded as the best striker in the division?
The early evidence suggests they can.
Kai Havertz Has Become Arteta’s First Choice
One of Mikel Arteta’s biggest decisions at the beginning of the season has been his choice between Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres.
Gyokeres started more frequently last season, particularly during periods when Havertz struggled with fitness. This campaign, however, the balance has shifted.
The Swedish forward has played only around 12 minutes in the Premier League so far.
Havertz, meanwhile, has emerged as Arteta’s preferred starting centre-forward and has been trusted to play a significant role in Arsenal’s matches.
Arteta’s confidence in the German forward is not new. The Arsenal manager has admired Havertz for some time and clearly values what he brings to the team beyond simply scoring goals.
That broader contribution appears to be particularly important.
After the Chelsea victory, Arteta praised Havertz’s current condition and confidence, highlighting not only his goal but also his work for the team.
For Arsenal, having Havertz fit, comfortable and confident could be more important than comparing him directly with the Premier League’s most prolific strikers.
Arsenal Do Not Necessarily Need an Elite Goalscorer
The debate over Arsenal’s striker position is understandable.
Premier League champions often have a forward capable of producing goals consistently. Manchester City, for example, have previously relied heavily on Sergio Aguero and now possess Erling Haaland.
Yet history also provides an important reminder.
Liverpool won the Premier League in 2025 without having a traditional No. 9 who was widely considered an elite striker.
That example shows that a team does not necessarily need the division’s most feared centre-forward to win the title.
Instead, the quality of the entire system can make the difference.
Havertz is difficult to define as a conventional striker. He has played as an attacking midfielder and forward during his career, but Arteta has increasingly used him as the focal point of Arsenal’s attack.
His strengths include:
- Intelligent movement.
- Technical ability.
- Link-up play.
- Strong work rate without the ball.
- Ability to contribute beyond goals.
Those qualities allow Arsenal to create a more balanced attacking structure rather than depending entirely on one player.
Haaland and Other Strikers Still Rank Above Havertz
There is little argument that Haaland remains the benchmark among Premier League strikers.
The Manchester City forward has scored 115 goals in 135 Premier League appearances, underlining his extraordinary consistency in front of goal.
Several other forwards can also make a strong case for being more prolific than Havertz.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro has developed into an important attacking player and has scored 25 goals in 57 appearances for the club.
Liverpool also have two forwards who offer significant goalscoring potential in Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.
Isak has already made an impressive start this season, scoring three goals in his first three Premier League matches. Before his move to Liverpool, he scored 44 goals in his final 64 Premier League appearances for Newcastle.
Ekitike also enjoyed an excellent debut Premier League season before suffering an ACL injury. He scored 11 goals in 28 league appearances during that campaign.
Gyokeres, meanwhile, remains another interesting comparison for Arsenal.
The Swedish striker scored 14 Premier League goals in 36 appearances last season. With more opportunities this season, he could potentially improve that record.
On pure goalscoring ability, Havertz may not rank among the division’s top five strikers.
But that does not necessarily make him the wrong player for Arsenal.
Arsenal’s Greatest Strength Is Their Balance
The most important point is that Arsenal’s title hopes do not rest solely on Havertz.
After three matches, the Gunners have nine points and have conceded just one goal.
Their opening fixtures have also demonstrated different sides of the team.
Arsenal began the season with a convincing victory over Coventry City before securing another important win against Aston Villa. Against Chelsea, they showed resilience by recovering from an early setback.
That ability to win matches in different ways could prove crucial over a long Premier League campaign.
Arsenal are currently alongside Manchester City as the only teams to have collected nine points from their first three matches.
Their defensive stability also gives them an important foundation.
If Arsenal can continue limiting goals at one end while producing enough attacking quality at the other, they do not necessarily need Havertz to match Haaland’s numbers.
Saka and Odegaard Can Reduce the Pressure
Another reason Arsenal can compete for the title is the number of attacking players capable of influencing matches.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard provide additional creative quality, while Arsenal’s midfield can contribute to the attacking phase.
That means the responsibility for producing goals does not have to fall entirely on Havertz.
This could actually suit the German forward.
Instead of being expected to score almost every week, Havertz can focus on movement, combination play and creating space for teammates.
His goal against Chelsea also provides an encouraging sign that he can still contribute directly when opportunities arrive.
At the same time, Arteta has Gyokeres available as an alternative.
That gives Arsenal another option when the manager needs a different type of centre-forward or wants to change the attacking approach during a match.
Arsenal’s Title Formula Is Bigger Than Havertz
Haaland may still be the Premier League’s standout striker, while Havertz may not even be considered among the division’s top five centre-forwards.
But Arsenal do not need the best individual striker to win the title.
They need their overall system to remain effective.
The early signs are encouraging. Arsenal have maximum points, a strong defensive record and the attacking quality to score through several different players.
Most importantly, Havertz appears to be fit, confident and trusted by Arteta.
If that continues, Arsenal may not need him to become the Premier League’s best striker.
They simply need Havertz to perform at his best while the rest of Arteta’s system continues to function.
That could be enough to turn Arsenal’s strong start into another serious Premier League title challenge.
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