Arsenal midfielder Jorginho was spotted encouraging his team-mates on from the touchline during the final moments of dramatic 3-2 win over Bournemouth.
Arsenal were always likely to try and snap up cover for Thomas Partey in the January transfer window given the defensive midfielder’s chequered injury history. But very few people – if any – would have tipped the Gunners to swoop for Jorginho.
At 31 years of the age, the Chelsea playmaker hardly seemed like an ideal fit. This is due to the fact that Arsenal’s transfer policy mainly consists of acquiring young, hungry players with the scope to evolve; hence their pursuit of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo.
But Mikel Arteta and Edu both stressed they were delighted to capture the veteran, who boasts a wealth of experience. He has won four trophies during his stint at Stamford Bridge – and his touchline antics in Saturday’s dramatic 3-2 win over Bournemouth underlined the value he brings to the Arsenal squad away from the pitch.
The veteran didn’t feature in the win over the Cherries, who raced into a shock two goal lead. This didn’t prevent him for barking out instructions to his team-mates from the sidelines as they fought to salvage something in the dying embers of the match.
Arsenal were under pressure to respond after Manchester City expertly negotiated a tricky fixture against Newcastle to cut the gap at the summit to just two points.
Understandably, there was an air of ecstasy at the Emirates following Arsenal’s late, late show – and Gunners favourite Paul Merson believes his old side are now nailed on to pip the reigning champions to the domestic crown.
“I think they win the league,” he said after the match. “They just keep on going and don’t know when they’re beaten. It’s four [Premier League wins] on the trot and you’ve got to remember the roll they were on before they started winning those games.
“They went 1-0 down at Villa after 10 minutes when they hadn’t won for three games, had just been well beaten by Man City and they bounced back.
“They’ve been brilliant and the next three games will be defining for me. If they win them, I don’t see how they don’t win it.”
Arteta also talked up the importance of Reiss Nelson’s decisive strike and lauded the character of his team after they rallied to restore their five point cushion at the top of the table in the most dramatic of fashions.
The Spaniard said immediately after the game: “It was probably the loudest and most-emotional moment we have lived together. The journey that we’ve been on together and how the supporters and team are together, adding the important moment we had today, it was very special.”