Gary Neville forced to make sudden U-turn minutes into Arsenal vs Chelsea - 'I'm wrong'

Morgan Rogers' latest Chelsea goal saw Gary Neville complete an Arsenal U-turn(Image: (Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images))

Gary Neville has made a stunning Morgan Rogers Arsenal U-turn after his goal for Chelsea minutes into their clash at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners were linked to signing him from Aston Villa before their London rivals swooped in and sealed a £117million deal.

Rogers has already made quite the impact and that continued as he volleyed Chelsea in front against Arsenal after just a few minutes. Neville has regularly stated the latter were right not to sign him but he has now gone back on that stance.

Speaking to Sky Sports on his analysis of the goal, he said: "I've been saying to Ian Wright they shouldn't have gone for Morgan Rogers, maybe I'm wrong!” Neville was referencing his discussion with the Arsenal icon on Stick to Football about how Arsenal did not need to sign him.

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While Neville was adamant that Arsenal did not need to sign Rogers, Wright was of the opposite opinion. "I think we did need Rogers," Wright said.

"You say we have got those types of players but that is what Mikel wanted. It is a position where we need that player. Of course Saka is back, Odegaard is back, Havertz is back and playing together, but he wanted that difference-maker.

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"He [Rogers] is the one we were linked with ages ago and he would have loved to have come, I can feel it." Rogers' early goal was quickly forgotten about, though, with Kai Havertz finding the bottom corner midway through the first period.

Riccardo Calafiori thought he had levelled proceedings just a few minutes before that when he bundled home a goal-mouth scramble but Ezri Konsa was in an offside position when he took his shot seconds earlier.

Neville and Wright had quite the disagreement earlier in the day over the two front threes with the former arguing Arteta would take Chelsea's front three over his own. Such an argument follows reports that Arsenal also had an eye on Joao Pedro during the summer.

Arsenal had Chelsea star Joao Pedro on their summer transfer shortlist

Ultimately, attackers from both teams made quite the impact in a frantic first 30 minutes in north London with 13 shots taken and nine of those on target. Chelsea have not looked particularly solid defensively but have been electric going forward.

Arsenal meanwhile, have controlled their opening three games but this was far more chaotic and unexpected of Mikel Arteta's side.

The second half of the opening 45 minutes was much calmer but neither side were in complete control of the ball throughout. Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers both had efforts go wide while Myles Lewis-Skelly fired over from just outside the box.

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