Only one thing could stop Jorginho talking on Saturday afternoon, and that was a set of studs scraping the top of his head. There were 95 minutes on the clock when the Arsenal midfielder was caught by a stray boot, causing blood to flow down the back of his neck, and the cut meant he could not play the last few seconds of his team’s victory over Burnley.

Thankfully for Arsenal, they did not need him in those final moments. By that point, the hard work had already been done. But they did need him earlier in the day, when Jorginho helped to establish their dominance over Burnley. It is clear that the Brazil-born Italian is growing in influence in north London.

Jorginho did not make the headlines of Sunday’s newspapers. He rarely does. But the man with the captain’s armband produced another controlling and quietly impressive performance at the centre of midfield. He does not need to score goals or register assists to have a significant impact on matches, and it is increasingly evident that he is the man to whom the other Arsenal players look for guidance.

No member of Mikel Arteta’s team talks more than Jorginho, who is becoming Arsenal’s master of control in possession and his manager’s voice on the pitch during games. The 31-year-old spent Saturday afternoon directing his team-mates, constantly shouting and pointing, and often seemed to be moving them around the pitch like chess pieces.

“The way this guy is competing, coaching and supporting the team in any way he can, it makes me really happy with him,” said Arteta.

It is never easy for a player to swap Chelsea blue for Arsenal red, and Jorginho was hardly given the warmest welcome when he turned up at the Emirates Stadium in January. It was a surprise move, even for him, and many Arsenal supporters were underwhelmed by his arrival. They had instead hoped to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

Over time, though, those supporters have come to appreciate Jorginho’s footballing brain and his obvious importance to Arteta. The fact that he is currently wearing the captain’s armband, in the absence of the injured Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus, is an indication of his seniority in the dressing room.

‘Influence on the rest of the squad is enormous’

With Thomas Partey struggling with more injury problems, Jorginho has now started seven of the last eight matches in all competitions. Such has been the quality of his performances in those games, he has earned a recall to the Italian national team.

“He is an incredible player, he is a leader, he is very intelligent and he has the quality to make the team better,” said Arteta of Jorginho last week. After the midfielder’s defence-splitting pass helped to create a goal against Sevilla in midweek, Arteta added: “It is a joy to have him. His influence on the rest of the squad is enormous.”

Jorginho produced a typically understated performance against Burnley. He was the only outfield Arsenal starter who did not have a shot in the game, and he will not feature prominently in the highlights packages. But it was his movement and passing that allowed Arsenal to dominate, and Arteta’s analysts will note that he completed all 22 of his 22 passes into the final third.

In a team full of excitable and athletic twenty-somethings, Jorginho is the calm head. At the age of 31, he is the second-oldest player in Arteta’s squad (behind Cedric Soares, who has played a total of three minutes all season) and a guiding light for the young stars. “He has got so much experience and respect among the team,” wrote Odegaard in Saturday’s match programme.

In January, Arsenal made huge offers for Mykhailo Mudryk and then Caicedo. Both of those players ended up at Chelsea, and Arsenal instead signed Leandro Trossard and Jorginho for much lower prices (an initial £21 million and £10 million respectively).

Trossard is widely regarded as one of the smartest deals of recent windows (he contributed another goal and assist against Burnley), and his output compares favourably to Mudryk at Stamford Bridge. Jorginho has received less praise but, as he becomes ever-more important to Arsenal’s title challenge, on and off the pitch, he too is starting to look like one of the club’s most intelligent pieces of business.

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