In Focus: Jorginho is proving his worth at high-flying Arsenal

Jorginho's move to Arsenal last month raised many eyebrows in North London, but the Italian is proving his worth under Mikel Arteta.

The midfield maestro has slotted straight into the Gunners' engine room in the absence of Thomas Partey and has not looked out of place at the league leaders.

His stoppage-time effort helped Arteta's side overcome Aston Villa late on last Saturday, as his strike from the edge of the area cannoned off the woodwork on to the head of Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and into the net.

Ahead of Saturday's match at Leicester, we take a look at the former Chelsea man in more detail.

To the North

Jorginho is the latest in a long line of players to have made the switch across the capital.

William Gallas, Petr Cech, David Luiz and Willian all left Stamford Bridge for the Emirates while Ashley Cole and Olivier Giroud are two of the names to have gone in the opposite direction.

The London rivals are perennially competing for local bragging rights and it seems strange that Graham Potter would sanction the sale of one of Chelsea's most influential players.

But the record-breaking capture of Enzo Fernandez meant that Jorginho was likely to see less game time and the Champions League winner seized his opportunity to leave the club.

The 31-year-old had featured in all but two of the Blues' Premier League matches this season, tallying a total of 213 appearances for the West Londoners since leaving Napoli in 2018.

Signing an 18-month contact with the Gunners, he will hope to extend his stay should he be able to continue to play a pivotal role in a potentially title-winning campaign under Arteta.

Making up the numbers

The arrival of the 46-cap international proved timely for Arsenal after Ghanaian midfielder Partey was ruled out with a muscle injury.

Partey's absence was felt in the 3-1 home defeat to title rivals Manchester City, but an improved performance at Villa Park with Jorginho orchestrating play in the centre of the park will have been a welcome relief to the Gunners faithful.

It is no secret that the January signing was not Arteta's first-choice midfield reinforcement but Brighton's stubborn stance on Moises Caicedo meant that they had to settle for the Euro 2020 winner.

Granit Xhaka and Partey have formed a terrific partnership this season but Jorginho adds a more direct element to Arsenal's play. 

He has completed 900 of his 1,051 passes this season and averages 63.4 passes per 90 minutes, ranking in the top 40 across the Premier League.

So while their new No20 may not have been the exciting addition that the Gunners were hoping for, there is no denying that they have acquired an elegant technician who will provide new avenues in attack with his passing range.

Best is yet to come

It is easy to forget that Jorginho came third in the 2021 Ballon d'Or race, cementing his place as one of the top players in European football.

His success at the European Championship with Italy and triumph in the Champions League with Chelsea earned the Verona academy product many plaudits before ultimately falling short of the individual accolade, with Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski finishing ahead of him.

His impressive medal collection and experience at the elite level will add much-needed quality to Arsenal's trophy hunt, for a side who do not have a large squad compared to their rivals.

As the title race heats up and the Gunners return to Europa League action, having Jorginho at his disposal will give Arteta a welcome selection boost.

The young attacking talents of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah will surely benefit from their team-mate's calm presence and keen eye for a defence-splitting pass.

Falling in love

Arteta has gone so far as to suggest that Arsenal fans will fall in love with their January signing if they give him a chance.

The Spanish boss has not held back when praising the his recent arrival, saying: "They are going to fall in love with him.

"The same way the players have and the coaching staff have here because of his personality, how humble he is, because he makes everybody better and that’s a huge quality."

Arteta's affection towards Jorginho has been replicated by the player, who recently spoke on his last-minute transfer.

He said: "He [Arteta] called me and it was all very quick, we made the deal in less than 48 hours. I had spoken to Chelsea and I knew I was no longer part of their plans. I wanted to progress in my career and the Arsenal project suits me.

"It’s a young team that plays good football and fits my characteristics. I considered every scenario and made the decision. Sometimes you must accept when you are out of a project and that things come to an end."

With crunch games with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all still to come in the run-in, expect Jorginho to have plenty more telling contributions before the season's end.