Lokonga continues bright start to life at Arsenal by excelling against Norwich

Granit Xhaka’s red card against Manchester City last month earned him a three-match suspension - the first of which was served against Norwich on Saturday - and it has presented Lokonga with the chance to shine.

So far, the 21-year-old has taken that with both hands and he impressed during Arsenal’s 1-0 win over the Canaries.

Without Thomas Partey not fit enough to start, Lokonga was charged with running the midfield and stepped up to the plate.

Little was known about the Belgian when he joined from Anderlecht this summer, but the early signs are very promising.

“Sambi came in from Belgium with a tight hamstring and only trained half a day,” revealed Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s win on Saturday.