Gabriel Jesus brace helps Arsenal outgun Leicester in six-goal thriller

Whisper it quietly but Arsenal may just have found exactly what they were looking for. A virtuoso display from Gabriel Jesus yielded his first two goals for the club and a second victory to begin the season for Mikel Arteta’s side in perfect fashion.

Even Leicester’s late fightback after William Saliba’s own goal and James Maddison’s strike could not stop the hosts, as Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli made sure of the points in the second half. It is certainly some contrast to the start of last season, when two defeats left Arsenal bottom of the Premier League table and Arteta facing serious questions about his future. Yet despite the disappointment of missing out on Champions League qualification in May, there is already evidence of his team’s progression following a busy summer in the transfer market that included the purchase of Jesus from Manchester City.

On a roasting day in north London, every Arsenal player had received an enthusiastic welcome before kick-off as Arteta picked the same side that started from the win over Crystal Palace last week. But, as if to underline the expectation surrounding his arrival from City, there was an extra loud roar reserved for Jesus. Having blown a 2-0 lead in their opening game against Brentford last week, Brendan Rodgers also opted for an unchanged side and arranged his team into formation that was designed to soak pressure and hit Arsenal on the break.

That plan almost paid dividends inside the opening three minutes when Aaron Ramsdale had to make a save to deny the marauding Wesley Fofana. After that early wake-up call, Arsenal took control. Half of the crowd thought Jesus had scored when his header from Martinelli’s free kick found the side netting before Fofana was shown