Goals from Kai Havertz and Tammy Abraham helped Chelsea beat Arsenal in the opening game of The Mind Series – a three-way friendly competition between the two London giants and Tottenham.
A goal in either half saw Chelsea beat Arsenal in the first game of The Mind Series – a one-off pre-season tournament. Havertz, who scored the only goal in Chelsea’s Champions League Final win over Manchester City, opened the scoring on the night. The Gunners hit back in the second half, but parity did not stand for long, with Abraham scoring the winner following a defensive error.
The Blues took the lead in the 26th minute. A wonderful first-time pass from Mateo Kovacic allowed Timo Werner a free run at Pablo Mari. Werner ran with pace towards the Arsenal goal before playing a simple sideways pass to his compatriot Havertz, who took a touch before blasting the ball into the top corner.
Five minutes later, Mikel Arteta’s side hit the post. Emile Smith-Rowe, recently rewarded with a new long-term contract and the number 10 shirt, collected the ball in the Chelsea half, drove forwards, and hit a shot across goal, which bounced back off the post. Chelsea themselves hit the post in the 42nd minute after Hakim Ziyech’s strike evaded Bernd Leno but could not evade the upright.
Eight minutes after the start of the second half, the Morocco international missed a glorious opportunity to double Chelsea’s lead, much to the annoyance of head coach Thomas Tuchel. The Moroccan was freed by Christian Pulisic’s pass and lifted the ball over an onrushing Leno. However, with one too many twists and turns, he made life difficult for himself, and by the time he got his shot away, Ben White was in a position to clear it.
Arsenal capitalized on Chelsea’s failure to double their lead. They found the equalizer through Granit Xhaka in the 69th minute, the Swiss midfielder rising highest from a corner to head past Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal. Chelsea, however, weren’t level for long. Three minutes after the equalizer, Hector Bellerin gave the ball away in a precarious position, and Abraham kept his cool to slot it past the goalkeeper.
Chelsea held on to the lead to win 2-1. Both teams will face Tottenham next in The Mind Series – Chelsea on 5th while Arsenal on 8th.
