Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 1-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Gunners were far from their best against the Magpies yesterday, but managed to prevail with a win after an Eberechi Eze wondergoal from the edge of the box.
The club had a couple of blemishes defensively, but Piero Hincapie was rock solid on the left side of the backline and barely put a foot wrong over the course of 90 minutes.
The Ecuadorian came up against Josh Murphy and Anthony Elanga, and handled the duo with relative ease, winning an impressive nine out of 13 ground and aerial duels.
The left-back also made five clearances, four interceptions, three recoveries and two tackles in a superb defensive showing. The 24-year-old has proved a brilliant acquisition on loan.
Hincapie was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch at the Emirates Stadium yesterday, but Eze was handed the man of the match after his sublime long-range winning goal.
Arsenal signed Hincapie on loan from Bayer Leverkusen last summer with an option to buy for £45 million. They are widely expected to trigger the purchase clause later this year.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have jumped back to the top of the league with the victory over the Magpies. They are now three points ahead of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
The club’s immediate focus will shift to the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid away. Hincapie should be a nailed-on starter in the left-back position.
Arsenal comfortably beat Atletico 4-0 at the Emirates in the league phase, but it could be an entirely different game in Madrid. The Gunners will be eyeing a crucial advantage for the return leg.
Stats from Sofascore