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5 things we learned from Arsenal's 4-2 victory over Leicester City

5 things we learned from Arsenal's 4-2 victory over Leicester City

Arsenal have beaten Leicester City in their second Premier League game, here's five things we learned.

Arsenal have beaten Leicester City 4-2 in the Gunners' second Premier League game.

Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring with a piece of magic, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper for his first competitive Arsenal goal.

He quickly added to his tally, heading into an open net after Jamie Vardy had attempted to clear away a corner.

A mix-up at the back gave Leicester a life-line, as William Saliba mistakenly headed the ball past Aaron Ramsdale.

That hope was quickly quenched, however, as Granit Xhaka capitalised on a mix-up at the back of their own from Leicester.

James Maddison scored for Leicester but the game was settled when Gabriel Martinelli lashed a precise shot into the bottom corner.

Here's five things we learned from the game.

1 - Arsenal fans are fully behind this young squad

When Saliba's header back rolled past Ramsdale and nestled in the Arsenal goal, some, fairly, would've expected groans and anger from the home fans.

However, what actually happened was quite incredible.

Saliba, while trudging back from his goal, was met with a roar of encouragement from the fans. A roar that said 'head up'.

His first touch on the ball after kick-off was met by a ovation and the young man didn't look back. He played the rest of the game brilliantly, making a crucial goal-line clearance.

Mikel Arteta was asked about the reaction of the fans and said:

“I think the crowd was special, especially after Saliba’s own goal.

"The way they reacted was something I’ve never seen in football; the amount of support and connection they are showing with us, and especially with William, lifted the team straight away. I have to thank them so much for that."

2 - Gabriel Jesus has everything

When Arsenal signed Jesus, the excitement was instant. While the striker hadn't always been consistent for Manchester City, the talent was evident.

However, the Jesus that is playing for Arsenal now is not the same player that played for City.

The Brazilian looks hungry and confident, he looks like the main man.

He leaves the game with two goals, but he could've had five. The striker was absolutely everywhere, dribbling, heading, turning his man, you name it and Jesus was doing it.

He got two assists too, supplying his team-mates, as well as himself.

Arsenal have got their striker, and they have surrounded him with creativity. It's early days in Jesus' Arsenal career, but the signs are incredibly positive.

3 - Granit Xhaka can play the left central-midfield position

Ironically, Arsenal's seeming top target for the left central-midfield position, Youri Tielemans, was on the pitch today.

However, Xhaka was the only player who looked deserving of the position.

The Swiss international was up and down the pitch all game, popping up in both boxes constantly.

He got his goal, scoring after a scramble in the box. He could've had another too, making a darting run to the back post and crashing a header against the frame of the goal.

The midfielder got an assist too, playing the ball to Jesus before he fired over the keeper.

The case of Xhaka is curious. Every time Arsenal appear to be moving away from him, the Swiss forces himself back into the conversation.

Xhaka's relationship with the fans seems to be repaired, and stronger than ever.

It's not yet clear if Arsenal will go ahead with the signing of Tielemans, but one thing is. Xhaka will have an important role in this Arsenal squad, no matter what.

4 - Oleksandr Zinchenko provides something different to Kieran Tierney

Zinchenko received a standing ovation from the Arsenal fans, and rightly so.

The Ukranian offers something very different to Kieran Tierney, which has it's positives and indeed it's negatives.

We've seen during Arteta's time at Arsenal, he likes his left-back to play inverted. It's something Pep Guardiola does too.

Zinchenko, being a natural midfielder, fits the role like a glove. He can be seen constantly drifting into midfield and involving himself in the build-up.

He is a very technically secure player, and his crossing is brilliant. He's also incredibly press resistant, a trait crucial in midfield.

However, his one versus one defending can sometimes be exposed when up against a tricky winger.

Against the pace of Jordan Ayew of Crystal Palace, he struggled late in the game.

Kieran Tierney offers almost the opposite. A very good left-back, Tierney is a great defender.

He's also a great crosser, but can sometimes be a little stiff on the ball.

So how can Arsenal get the best of both worlds? Could the answer be to play them both, one in left central-midfield. This is a question Arteta will be asking himself, and one we will likely see the answer to.

5 - Gabriel Martinelli is primed to explode

Two goals in two games for Martinelli this season, and both were very different goals, and showed different things.

Martinelli's goal at Palace was a great example of his ability to be in the right place in the right time.

His goal at Leicester was a result of his own pressing, winning the ball back and combining with Jesus, before firing an un-saveable shot past Ward.

The young Brazilian looks better every game at the moment, and isn't showing any signs of slowing down.

Last season, Martinelli only locked down a starting position around halfway through the season, and still managed to rack up 12 goals/assists.

With a great pre-season, a consistent starting position and the addition of his Brazilian team-mate Jesus, Martinelli is primed to have a very good season.


Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, Gabriel Martinelli, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus, Leicester City, Premier League

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