Gabriel Jesus guided Arsenal to a 4-2 win over Leicester City at the Emirates on Saturday.
Jesus moved to Arsenal looking to become the main striker for a team and he has already started to embrace the opportunity.
Two goals, a chip over Danny Ward for the first and a poacher’s header for the second, gave Arsenal a 2-0 goal lead.
Leicester thought they had a chance to get one back when Aaron Ramsdale appeared to collide with Jamie Vardy, but a VAR review overturned the penalty.
In the second half, a William Saliba own goal gave Leicester hope for two minutes before Granit Xhaka seized on a Ward error to score. Ramsdale’s poor save allowed James Maddison to score only for another swift response, this time from Gabriel Martinelli.
The win maintains Arsenal’s 100 percent record while Brendan Rodgers’ men have just one point.
TALKING POINT – ARTETA’S TWO CITY TRANSFERS HAVE PAID OFF
Gabriel Jesus takes the headlines as the star performer with two goals, but Oleksandr Zinchenko’s efforts on and off the ball make their left-hand side so much stronger.
He may have suffered for his versatility under Pep Guardiola but with competition from Kieran Tierney he may end up playing higher up on the left and helping Arsenal develop.
Last season saw Arsenal fall away at the business end of the season but with Jesus and Zinchenko’s experience, they could be calmer and better this time around.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – GABRIEL JESUS (ARSENAL)
Jesus needed to move with Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland arriving at the Etihad and moving to Arsenal looked like a step down. It very probably is, but he is young enough to continue improving and seems to have thrived early into his move as more responsibility is placed upon him.
PLAYER RATINGS
Arsenal: Ramsdale 6, White 6, Saliba 6, Zinchenko 8, Partey 6, Xhaka 7, Saka 7, Odegaard 6, Martinelli 7, Jesus 8. Subs: Tierney 6, Tomiyasu 6, Smith Rowe 6, Nketiah 6.
Leicester City: Ward 5, Castagne 6, Fofana 6, Evans 6, Amartey 6, Justin 6, Tielemans 5, Ndidi 5, Dewsbury-Hall 5, Maddison 6, Vardy 6. Subs: Praet 6, Iheanacho 6, Daka 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
23’ – GOAL! ARSENAL 1-0 LEICESTER – JESUS SCORES – Jesus steps inside, finds Martinelli, the ball is worked to Xhaka and then Jesus, and he clips a shot up and over Ward with a brilliant effort.
35’ – GOAL! ARSENAL 2-0 LEICESTER – GABRIEL JESUS SCORES – A corner from the left is swung in, flicked on by Vardy as he attempts to defend, but it comes to an unmarked Jesus to nod home.
53’ – GOAL! ARSENAL 2-1 LEICESTER – SALIBA OWN GOAL – A long ball from Leicester is headed into the path of Saliba, and he intercepts to nod past his own ‘keeper.
55’ – GOAL! ARSENAL 3-1 LEICESTER CITY – XHAKA SCORES – Saka picks out White, who clips a ball in towards Jesus. Ward claims, drops onto the toes of Xhaka who fires home.
74’ – GOAL! ARSENAL 3-2 LEICESTER CITY – MADDISON SCORES – Maddison is released on the overlap in the box by Iheanacho and drills a low shot from a tight angle past Ramsdale.
75’ – GOAL! ARSENAL 4-2 LEICESTER CITY – MARTINELLI SCORES – The Brazilian scores his second in two games as he lines up a shot from outside the box, and drills a low effort into the far corner.
