As comebacks go, Reiss Nelson emerging from the shadows takes some beating.
But this was also a statement victory from Arsenal as they dug deep to show they are determined to stay in the title race for the long haul. The scoreline makes it look easy - and in the end it was. But, actually, it was a test for Arsenal’s tired legs and whether they could reclaim top spot from Manchester City.
And it was one they came through with flying colours as forgotten man Nelson injected the performance with energy, two goals and an assist after coming off the bench. Nelson, 22, was so far out of the picture that he was loaned out to Feyenoord last season and he had not scored for Arsenal since November 2020 in the Europa League. These were his first goals in the Premier League since July 2020.
