Eddie Nketiah confessed he had a "chip on his shoulder" after scoring twice against Chelsea - the team who released him as a teenager.
The Arsenal forward bagged a brace as the Gunners responded emphatically to claim the three points at Stamford Bridge. The north Londoners had lost their last three on the bounce and were in danger of seeing their top four hopes slip away, but produced an impressive display across the capital.
Nketiah scored his team's opener and also bagged their third, which put them back in front after Chelsea had twice equalised. The forward was on the books at the west London outfit for seven years from 2008 before he was shown the door. Arsenal soon picked him up and he returned to make his mark.
He told Sky Sports : "I think it makes that bit more special, I was here up until U14s and then got let go so you always have that chip on your shoulder to come and prove yourself. But today isn't about me, it is good I got two goals, but it is about the team and bouncing back."
He went on to add: "I think it gives us confidence, we've all stuck together through the difficult times. We've showed that we can bounce back from setbacks. Today is a great result, it is always nice winning a derby and we're just looking to push on and hopefully keep getting three points to climb up the table."
The win at the Bridge, which comes after they also picked up three points at Chelsea last term, means Mikel Arteta's side are level on points with neighbours Tottenham having played the same amount of games. Antonio Conte's side are edging it on goal difference but the pair have to square off in a north London derby before the season ends.
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Bukayo Saka, who played a leading role in the success, scoring their fourth from 12 yards, claimed the victory was for the fans as they looked to show some fight following their dip in form. "We wanted to give the fans something to believe in us and we did that. We showed fight and character. It’s a huge result," he said. "It means a lot to us. Losing three games in a row is really difficult."
Saka had never taken a spot kick for the Gunners and hadn't put his hand up to take a penalty since he missed for England in the Euro 2020 heartbreak against Italy. Arteta said on Nketiah: "What I've been saying all the time about Eddie - good things happen to good people. He has proven that (his commitment) all season, if I'm happy for anyone it is him."
