Flawless start for Gunners with another thumping win

The future looks bright at Arsenal.

- WILL CASTLE AT THE EMIRATES STADIUM

Hoping for it to be “fourth time’s a charm” in their pursuit of Premier League glory, a flawless start to the new season feels imperative. It meant a home victory over newly promoted Leeds United, in itself, was not so much a headline as it was an expectation. Instead, the stories of the day centred around a select few individuals, those that spark visions of rediscovered success.

Arsenal fans began the afternoon on tenterhooks, waiting for the imminent confirmation of new arrival Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. They wouldn't have to wait long. The Gunners' new No 10 was unveiled to the Emirates faithful prior to kickoff to raucous reaction, returning to the club he grew up playing for and supporting. To call this a homecoming, as was proclaimed over the PA, might be inaccurate - Eze was of course dumped by Arsenal as a teenager, something not fitting of a nurturing home. But as the 27-year-old calmly waved to his new fans, he let out a wry smile, almost as if to stick it to those who lost faith in his 13-year-old self all those years ago. That mistake has just cost Arsenal £60m.

Eze could well be the final piece to Mikel Arteta's title-dreaming puzzle. He is exactly the player they need, a dribbler with creative spark who can break down the most stubborn defences. “Without a doubt, he has the capacity to create those magic moments - that flair, that charisma that is very contagious,” Arteta said. Yet his acquisition has already become something more of a necessity rather than a luxury. Martin Odegaard’s first-half substitution against Leeds was followed by the latest injury blow to Bukayo Saka, adding more strain to attacking options following Kai Havertz’s knee injury earlier this week.