Arsenal Prove They're Title Favorites with Commanding Win Over Chelsea

When Champions Show Their Cards

Another weekend of European football and I'm already buzzing. There's nothing quite like seeing your favorite teams step up and show what they're made of, especially when the stakes are high.

This past weekend was a perfect example. We saw Arsenal take control of their Premier League title race with a masterful 2-1 win over Chelsea, and Inter Milan prove why they're Serie A's top dog with a dramatic comeback against Napoli.

"Arsenal are that little bit different. Not quite Arsene Wenger or early Arteta expansiveness, but a darn sight more multifaceted at the attacking end than the side that had one shot on target and 25% possession in the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year."

— Gabriele Marcotti, ESPN

Now let's break it all down.

Arsenal Show Their True Colors

When Morgan Rogers beat David Raya from the edge of the box to give Chelsea the lead inside just two minutes, you could feel Xabi Alonso's path to victory solidifying. The Blues were hungry, aggressive, and ready to play their game.

But Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, had something else in mind. They weren't going to let this early lead shake them. What happened next was pure poetry in motion. The Gunners equalized midway through the first half, took a 2-1 lead just after the interval, and never looked back.

In some ways, this isn't last year's Arsenal. Martin Odegaard had the freedom of the pitch, starring in a more central role. Kai Havertz looks fit, sharp and still with the right amount of nasty, creating matchup problems with Alonso's back three and inviting teammates into play (sometimes by not touching the ball at all, as we saw with his dummy).

Let's not forget, Havertz started just seven Premier League games last season -- and four of those were in the final two months. And Odegaard, before mid-April, had managed just 13 league starts and one goal due to various injuries.

This is what we've been waiting for. A new Arsenal, one that can flex its muscles when needed and show their true potential. The physical intensity remains, the defensive attention too (Chelsea's xG was a paltry 0.35). The two melees in the box -- one culminating in Emi Martinez getting kicked in the head by Gabriel, the other with Riccardo Calafiori's disallowed goal -- were a testament to that.

The Realization of Chelsea's Challenges

Chelsea is clearly on the rise, but they're not quite there yet. Xabi Alonso needs time and all that. But there are flaws that are simply down to squad construction (and possibly that this club is operating under pretty hefty restrictions following the settlement agreement with UEFA).

There's a gaping, Moisés Caicedo-shaped hole in the middle of the park. When your best player is injured, you're not going to be as good. When fit, Reece James is excellent, but he can only perform part of Caicedo's duties.

Looking at the bench, with the three high-priced young wingers, you can't help but wonder if Alonso won't end up rejiggering his 3-4-2-1 setup. The good news is that these are gifted players -- Estêvão created Chelsea's best chance of the second half after coming on, though again, it was an individual move, not a pattern of play.

Their lack of a true number ten and the inconsistency in their front line have been glaring issues. João Pedro is exceptional, but some situations call for a different profile of striker. Emmanuel Emegha has the physical presence and may or may not be that guy, but it's worth reminding ourselves that he was injured most of last season.

Inter Milan Prove They're the Best in Italy

If you're going to win 3-2 from a two-goal second-half deficit, this is the way to do it. That's what Inter Milan did against Napoli, with an injury-time winner after a performance that leaves no doubt who the better team was.

The win didn't just validate Inter Milan's approach -- they racked up 3.42 xG and 69% possession, hit the woodwork twice and were somewhat unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty -- but it also gave the fanbase and the players the sort of emotional lift you can't engineer.

Inter can also draw solace from individual performances. Newly acquired Curtis Jones came off the bench and looked like he'd been at the club for 10 years. Marcus Thuram scored a thumping header, reminding you that he's getting stronger by the day after his injury. Andy Diouf sparkled on the right flank.

As for Napoli, Max Allegri set up in lockdown mode early (which meant, once again, no room for Kevin De Bruyne) and for a while, it sort of worked. They had chances on the break and capitalized on Inter's mistakes to go 2-0 up. But Leopards rarely change their spots, though, and after Inter clawed one back, Allegri retreated into his 5-4-1 bunker and did so in a silly way.

Quick Hits: Other Big Stories

Fermín López shines as Barcelona beat up rudderless Valencia. He certainly was in Barcelona's 5-0 thrashing of Valencia, scoring a goal, dishing out two assists and forming a devastating one-two punch with Raphinha through the middle.

AS Roma are Gasperini's team ... and they look really good. They dominated Atalanta en route to a 2-1 win, showing vintage Gasperini from the good old days when he was beating Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen with Atalanta to win the UEFA Europa League.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 37 years young, is on fire. In his first four games this season, he has racked up four goals and two assists. He is 37 years old and in his first four games this season, he has racked up four goals and two assists.

Youthful Borussia Dortmund turn the tables on old habits. They still made silly mistakes but also stormed back to win 3-2 on the road at TSG Hoffenheim after finding themselves two down with half an hour to go.

Manchester City are still very much a work in progress. Enzo Fernández, thrown into the start because of Nico O'Reilly's injury in the warmup, looks motivated and brings a fierceness this team was lacking.

Loris Karius' heroics denying Bayern Munich might be a problem. It's not the two points dropped against newly promoted Schalke 04, per se. Early in the season, a newly promoted big side, on the road ahead of the Champions League starting ... stuff happens.

Manchester United are still about baby steps and individuals. When you drop points on a long-range strike in the sixth minute of injury time, as United did in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Everton, it's going to hurt. But results, rather than performance, are keeping Michael Carrick afloat right now, and that's not a good thing when you're in the midst of a rebuild.

Juventus and Milan show all their respective limits in a 1-1 draw. Both teams, I guess, have alibis. Ruben Amorim just arrived in Milan. Luciano Spalletti has a bunch of injuries (including Weston McKennie, Kenan Yildiz and Khéphren Thuram) and is coming off a goofy transfer window.

Atleti get sucker punched, but issues run deeper in Bilbao defeat. What's becoming painfully obvious is that, until they play with a viable center forward, Atlético Madrid are going to win regularly only if they outwork the opposition or if their skill players invent low-probability goals.

Tottenham Hotspur's drought continues ... maybe it's not surprising. Spurs had more possession, but Forest had more shots and shots on goal. The pricy signings from Manchester City -- Omar Marmoush and Savinho -- combined for four goals in 45 league appearances last season.