Thomas' transformation
There were plenty of candidates for man of the match from Sunday's game at the Emirates - and we'll get to a few more of them in a bit more depth - but for football.london the standout was Thomas Partey.
The Ghanaian doesn't tend to get as much praise as some of Arsenal's more eyecatching stars like Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith Rowe, but after being awarded player of the month for February it's plain to see that the work he's doing is not going unnoticed by the Gunners fans.
Cast your mind back to the start of December when many were beginning to question whether the 28-year-old merited a place in the starting XI amid a string of poor performances that he himself described as "4/10."
Since then the transformation in Partey's game has been mindblowing.
Of course the long-awaited goal was a high point, and as Mikel Arteta went on to admit after the game, the former Atletico Madrid man could even have had a hattrick, but it was his work at the base of the Arsenal midfield that was so exciting.
In midweek when doing punditry for Real Madrid's dramatic Champions League comeback win over PSG, Arsene Wenger described Karim Benzema 's greatest ability as being able to make the difficult look incomprehensibly simple, amd it's safe to say the same description can be applied to Partey right now.
The Ghanaian is Arsenal's Harry Houdini regularly navigating his way out of the seemingly inescapable situations he regularly finds himself in when playing as the Gunners' 'number six'.
If you look at other players playing in the league there are few whose role is as demanding as that of the 28-year-old. Fabinho at Liverpool is not tasked with the same responsibility of starting attacks from deep, while Rodri at Manchester City is not asked to do nearly as much defensive covering.
And yet Partey continues chugging along with minimal fuss, building more confidence seemingly with each week.
A degree of credit for this transformation from those dark days in December needs to go to Arteta for continuing to have faith in him at a time when many more were doubtful, but when asked what he'd done to facilitate such a change in his post match press conference, the Spaniard was keen to push the spotlight back on to his midfielder.
"I think it comes from the player. I think when a player accepts the reality and accepts ‘ok I want to be in a different position’ you can’t expect that to be happen if you don’t change anything that you do, and expect the rest to change," Arteta said.
"He started to do many other things and you can see that he’s enjoying on the pitch and this is what we want."
On current form there are few midfields that Partey wouldn't get into across the Premier League. It is little coincidence that Arsenal's consistent ascent up the division has come at the same time as the Ghanaian's longest spell without injury in North London.
Odegaard vs Maddison decided
After months of debate over which player Arsenal should sign, we were robbed of the chance to truely see James Maddison vs Martin Odegaard in the reverse fixture of this game in October by virtue of the fact the Norwegian was on the bench as Arteta pursued a 4-4-2 formation with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette up front.
With litte danger of Odegaard missing this one, the Foxes social media team attempted to stoke up the comparisons between the two once more by putting out a bizarre graphic that included previously unheard of stats like 'most winning goals' as a variable to contrast the two.
Come full time though, it was clear to see who had won out in the debate.
Odegaard's brilliance is becoming so consistent that it's criminally close to stating the obvious to point out how good he is week-on-week. In this game he finished with 11 progressive passes, the next highest in the Arsenal side was Ben White with three (as per oh_that_crab ).
After a loan spell that left many questioning the wisdom of re-signing him, the 23-year-old now appears to be in a groove that is silencing all doubters.
Perhaps the driving force behind it is how much he now feels like 'the man' at the Emirates Stadium.
Breaking into the Norwegian national team at 15, it was clear that Odegaard always had the talent, but after a nomadic existence at Real Madrid, he had never truly had the platform or the confidence to show it.
As his career threatened to reach a crossroads Arsenal appear to have been a perfect match for him. They needed him as a creative saviour to their underperforming attack, and he needed them as a home where he could finally express the ability that caught the world's attention all those years ago.
"He was terrific again today in every aspect of the game," said Mikel Arteta of the Norwegian's display. "What he had to do defending, when we were high, when we were deep, in build up phase, what he had to do in the final third, the way he understands and manages when it’s needed.
"I think he’s come a long way since his arrival and he’s showing great maturity on the pitch. He makes the other players better I think."
Everything now flows though Odegaard in North London, and it's telling that with each passing game, he appears to be the one his teammates look to the most.
As Lacazette was substituted by Eddie Nketiah late on, the usual custom of the captain's armband being handed to Kieran Tierney was observed, but perhaps the Norwegian - as the technical and spiritual leader of this group - should have been the one to take over.
When asked to speak on the spirit in the camp amongst the Gunners Odegaard was excitingly succinct in prophesising what was to come.
“There is clearly something special going on here now," the Norwegian said. "You feel it in the whole club. We are building something special. It’s a group of players who like each other, and who enjoy playing football together.”
Odegaard is not wrong, and with every game he adds further weight to argument that he should be the man to lead the special project at the Emirates.
Arsenal's English core
While the brilliance of Arsenal's performance on Sunday was summised by their suffocating attacking dominance of their visitors, two of the standout players were at the back end of the pitch.
Aaron Ramsdale caught the headlines yet again with another sumptuous save, this time from Harvey Barnes to prevent a Leicester equaliser in the first half.
If you could sum up the 23-year-old's style in a nutshell though it was what followed. From the resulting corner he rose confidently to claim the cross, before volleying an inch perfect pass out to Bukayo Saka beyond the halfway line in an attempt to get the Gunners away on the attack.
After the game Mikel Arteta was happy to praise him for getting Arsenal "out of trouble", but it was the opposing manager Brendan Rodgers whose plaudits were far more forthright.
"For me he's the best English keeper at the moment," the Foxes boss said. "He's top.
"His progression since he came to Arsenal, he's dealt with that really well. He's got a really nice calmness to his game."
It is perhaps a timely performance from Ramsdale given that Gareth Southgate announces his England squad this week for the March international break. The question for this will not be whether he should make the group but rather should he be starting ahead of Jordan Pickford for the Three Lions.
If form is anything to go by, then the decision is a no-brainer.
The same goes for his England teammate in front of him Ben White.
The 24-year-old was bizarrely left out of the last interntional break group in November, with the likes of Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings being put in ahead of him.
Now though, with his consistently excellent form there is surely an argument that White is the best central defender England have, and therefore surely should be starting games sooner rather than later.
If you ever wanted proof then look at how the former Leeds man played in comparison to Harry Maguire this weekend.
Faced with a tricky moment inside his penalty area when James Maddison appeared destined to score, White produced an impeccably timed tackle to surely save a goal for his side. When forced to defend his own box in an equally pressurised situation in Manchester United's clash with Tottenham Maguire meanwhile did the exact opposite and prodded the ball into his own net.
When it comes to goals conceded the Gunners have 11 fewer than United, and White's impressive form will surely be a source of embarassment for Maguire.
It would be a bold decision to leave such an established player out in both Ramsdale and White's case, but the time is surely now for the pair to be given their chance for England.
Liverpool test awaits
Thomas Partey's first start in an Arsenal shirt came in this exact game last season.
Back then Arsenal looked a side unsure of themselves. Mikel Arteta was keen to transition his side away from the back three set up that had led them to FA Cup and Community Shield success, but the exact way he was going to do that was unclear.
How things have changed.
The Gunners identity to the way they play is probably the most pleasing thing to watch about them right now. Some might argue that the 4-3-3 set up is too predictable, but when plan A works as well as it at the Emirates right now, then why bother changing things.
It's probably fair to say that this is the best football Arsenal have played in the post-Arsene Wenger era, and consistency is a key part in that.
"This is what all coaches want, and they can understand what we want to do and they can do it with a certain speed as well," Arteta said of his the reliable nature of his side's form.
The Gunners performances appear to be snowballing in terms of confidence and comfort with each passing match, but on Wednesday they face probably the sternest test of their elite credentials going right now.
Liverpool are the form side in England having won their last eight Premier League games in a row scoring 21 goals in the process. With this run they've managed to propel themselves into being title contenders, and the Reds will have no intention of surrendering ground in midweek.
When Jurgen Klopp's men came to the Emirates in January, it was a deeply frustrating affair as Arsenal were a shadow of their full strength selves, with Takehiro Tomiyasu essentially playing with one calf, while the rest of the squad was hit by injury, illness and AFCON.
Now though, minus Tomiyasu the Gunners are as close to their best as possible and it will be fascinating to see how they do up against a truly top tier opposition.
"That’s a different level now," said Arteta of the prospect awaiting his side this midweek. "We have to take the game into a new standard to have a chance to beat them.
"We know that and we are going to prepare tomorrow how we can beat them and how we can believe that we can beat them which is crucial to be able to beat them."
That belief is something Arsenal have discovered in recent weeks. Arteta will be hopeful his side can use it to fully announce their arrival onto the Premier League's top table.
