Chelsea FC suffered a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, a result that has ignited debate over past transfer decisions and a key refereeing call. The loss leaves Xabi Alonso's side fourth in the table with six points from three games, three points behind leaders Manchester City.

Why was Kai Havertz allowed to join Arsenal?

Joe Cole has criticised Chelsea for selling Kai Havertz to Arsenal after the German forward scored against his former club again. According to the Daily Mirror, Cole told Premier League Productions that the club's decision-makers must stop letting players leave who then excel for direct rivals. Havertz, who joined Arsenal in a £65 million move, netted the equaliser in the 25th minute at the Emirates Stadium.

He has now scored four times against Chelsea since his departure. Cole pointed to the significant sums spent on other centre-forwards since Havertz left as evidence of a recurring problem. "Those kind of deals never happened at Manchester United with Sir Alex Ferguson, or with Arsene Wenger at Arsenal," Cole said.

Should Gabriel have been sent off?

Wayne Rooney believes Arsenal defender Gabriel was "extremely lucky" to avoid a red card for kicking Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez in the face. The incident occurred during a first-half goalmouth scramble, as reported by the Daily Mirror. VAR official Chris Kavanagh did not advise an on-field review, a decision Rooney and fellow pundit Ashley Young disagreed with on Match of Day.

However, former referee Mark Halsey offered a contrasting view to the Sun, suggesting the chaotic nature of the scramble meant a sending-off was not warranted. The incident became a major talking point after Chelsea, who had taken the lead through Morgan Rogers after just 77 seconds, ultimately lost the match.

What did Xabi Alonso say after the game?

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso acknowledged the difficulty of breaking down the champions but felt his team created enough chances to get a result. "They are hard to beat, they are hard to create chances against, but we had three or four chances to score more than one goal," Alonso told Premium Times Sports. He described the early-season defeat as part of a process the team must work through.

Alonso's squad will need to regroup quickly, with key midfielders Jordan Henderson, Marco Palestra, and Moisés Caicedo currently sidelined. The team's next challenge is a home match against Hull City on September 12. You can view the full upcoming schedule on our fixtures page and check the latest team news on our injuries list.

How did former Gunner Leandro Trossard get involved?

In a separate note from the match, former Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard was reportedly spotted watching the derby from the stands. Yahoo Sports cited fan footage suggesting the Belgian, who now plays for Besiktas, attended the game after featuring for his Turkish club the previous day. His quiet presence added a minor subplot to the high-stakes London clash.

Chelsea's season so far shows eight goals scored and seven conceded, giving them a +1 goal difference. The team will look to bounce back at Stamford Bridge against a Hull City side sitting third in the standings.