ORDINARY for the first 45 minutes. Unstoppable for the next half.
A message of intent to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City by a side that had been daunting itself.
And as Arsenal broke out of a first-half funk to smash Aston Villa’s winning run into little pieces, Mikel Arteta and his men looked every inch title winners.
Perhaps inevitably it needed a corner for Arsenal to find their feet, Gabriel beating Emi Martinez to Bukayo Saka’s delivery and nudging over the line.
But after that it was vintage Arsenal, three more quality strikes putting Unai Emery’s side in their place, leaving them to rue Ollie Watkins’ first-half miss.
Terrific play by Martin Odegaard saw Martin Zubimendi prod home, Leandro Trossard added a third from the edge of the box – after TWO VAR checks – before Gabriel Jesus scored his first since New Year’s Day after coming off the bench.
Welcome offer
Get a £50 welcome bonus when you join Sun Vegas and spend £10
Gab gone wrong
Ex-Arsenal star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaves Afcon with immediate effect
Too much for Villa, who had looked more than capable at the interval and missed Amadou Onana’s midfield power after the break.
Emery will know his side could have capitalised on their counter-attacking threat, exposing an Arsenal side who missed the security blanket normally carried by the absent Declan Rice, before they lost knee victim Onana.
But hard luck stories are an irrelevance. And by the end Arteta’s side were back on full bore – even if Viktor Gyokeres cannot buy a goal at the moment.
It was revenge, too, for that last-gasp defeat inflicted by Emi Buendia at Villa Park three weeks ago.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK
Arteta vowed in the aftermath that his men would “use the pain” of defeat to go again.
This game, with Rice out after a knee knock, was always going to be a test of Arsenal’s title mentality – and of whether Emery’s side were genuine contenders or merely pretenders to the crown.
Arsenal needed a performance too. They have been grinding it out for the past six weeks, with Gyokeres’ lack of a genuine goal threat a stand-out failing.
Gyokeres had two chances in the first half, heading the first onto the roof of the net, glancing the second wide of the near post.
Had Villa taken advantage of three openings to hurt Arsenal on the counter between those two, it might have been a different story.
Watkins squandered the mother of all chances in the 13th minute, scuffing wide from 10 yards after Ezri Konsa robbed Gyokeres and carried half the pitch.
Rice’s absence was far more damaging than it should have been, leaving Arsenal totally uncertain through the middle.
That came after William Saliba looked anxiously at referee Darren England, who adjudged no foul on the marauding Onana.
Warkins’ miss felt costly, although another rapid counter through the centre of the park ended with the England man, again on the left of the box, firing wide as he aimed for the far corner.
Arteta, once more testing the margins of his technical area, looked exasperated and concerned, Emery a coiled spring of belief.
Arsenal had pressure without conviction, Trossard cutting inside but too close to Martinez before Gyokeres tore off his cloak of invisibility to glance a Trossard cross wide of the near post.
Saka had been equally peripheral, Mikel Merino lucky to last to half-time, Arsenal deeply unconvincing.
But set-pieces have been their super-power all season – and so it proved three minutes after the break.
Martinez was convinced he had been fouled when Gabriel challenged him for Saka’s inswinging corner, with the ball bouncing between them and trickling off the Brazilian and over the line.
The Villa keeper placed the ball down for a free-kick but the VAR checked the call and, eventually, England pointed to the centre circle.
“Set piece again, ole, ole” was the delirious chant and that pressure valve was suddenly released.
Odegaard then robbed Jadon Sancho – whose first Villa Prem start was reminiscent of many of his United appearances – before teasing through to Zubimendi to prod home.
Martinez thwarted Odegaard but not Trossard, although the Belgian could only celebrate when VAR scrutiny of both Saka and Hincapie in the build-up ruled in Arsenal’s favour to overturn the raised flag.
Then came the Jesus goal – a belter bent beyond the keeper.
Villa were beaten, bashed up, no response possible.
Arsenal, though, are back where they want to be. Top of the pile. Confidence suddenly flooding through every pore, the Emirates reverberating to a sense of purpose and expectation.
Deservedly so. They have been at the summit for three months now and do not look like a side that will relinquish that position.
Raya, somehow, kept out John McGinn from close range but could not prevent Watkins turning in from a yard deep in added time.
Even so, the night summed up why the mood in the red half of North London is so strong.
There is something about these Gunners, something that has not been felt in these parts for 20 years.