Six points from the Premier League table, with the title in their hands, and the last four Champions League games at a canter – happy days for Arsenal, right?
Sadly, it would appear, as the situation worsened in recent weeks, none other than the lack of attacking verve shown by Mikel Arteta's men.
On the side, in particular, the Gunners' forward line was nervous, showing consistency and starting without a clear first choice.
In the case of Gabriel Martinelli, for example, the Brazilian provided an important assist in Lisbon last week, after which he registered only nine touches in the entire loss to Bournemouth.
|
Martinelli vs Bournemouth |
|
|---|---|
|
Mathematics |
Record |
|
Minutes |
54 |
|
To touch |
9 |
|
Pass rate |
67% |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Crosses |
0/1 |
|
Shots |
0 |
|
The ball is lost |
4 |
|
Dribbles |
0 |
|
Duels won |
0 |
|
Fighting |
0 |
This left side, since the hot days of Alexis Sanchez, has long been a problem in north London, but can Andrea Berta solve it this summer?
Arsenal have seized the opportunity in the race to sign the £75m winger
There have been, it would be fair to say, some interesting rumors in recent weeks relating to Arsenal's left-back target, with reports earlier this month suggesting the club were eyeing a potential move for Paris Saint-Germain's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Ligue 1 club – who the Gunners are likely to face in the Champions League final – are unsurprisingly in no mood to sell one of their most prized assets, with a price tag of around £157m already forgotten.
At a time when Berta and co may have to sell to help buy, that contract is just the beginning, to ensure that other targets will have to be considered.
Big Trossard development: £61m England star wants to sign for Arsenal this summer
Arsenal need improvement in the flanks with Leandro Trossard underperforming.
According to a recent report by journalist Charlie Wyett, Arsenal could be involved in the race for Newcastle United man Anthony Gordon, even if both Liverpool and Bayern Munich are still in contention.
The belief is that the Gunners could be considered the frontrunners as Gordon is said to favor a move to London over any other city, as he has put the Englishman at the top of his summer target list.
The report notes that the league leaders are considering other options, however the 25-year-old could leave for around £75m.
Why Gordon could be Arsenal's best player Alexis
As noted above, there has been no semblance of consistency from Martinelli or Leandro Trossard in the side for a while now, with Arteta often relying on Bukayo Saka at the other end.
Since the start of 2024/25, Trossard has scored just 17 goals in all competitions, only 13 of which have come in the Premier League, while Martinelli has scored 21 times, despite only netting once in the Premier League this season.
With just six league goals between them in 2025/26 not yet up to par, Arsenal are crying out for a figure similar to Sanchez's brilliance, with the Chilean scoring 80 goals in 166 games for the club.
In comparison, Trossard and Martinelli scored just 97 goals between them from a combined 436 games at the Emirates.
Herein lies a significant drop in quality, something Gordon may be looking to address, with the Magpies star scoring 17 goals in all competitions so far this season at St James' Park.
It's fair to say that the former Everton paceman has not been at his best, although his return of six Premier League goals still puts him ahead of Martinelli and Trossard, while he has also provided a superb ten goals in his 12 Champions League outings.
Technically, too, he seems to be doing the better of the Arsenal pair, having created five 'big chances' in the top flight this season, ahead of what Trossard (four) and Martinelli (three) achieved.
Equally, his eye-catching talent can be seen in his superior record in terms of successful completions, with an average of 1.3 per game, well ahead of Trossard (0.6) and Martinelli's average (0.7).
Perhaps that speaks to Newcastle's desire to play on the counter, and the space Gordon is able to work in, however there is a relentlessness and directness to his game that none of Arsenal's left-back options currently display.
Eyebrows were raised when the Tynesiders splashed out £45m to sign him from Merseyside back in 2023, although Gordon has since returned to his current club, scoring 67 goals and assisting in 152 games.
For £75m, the Gunners could get their money's worth deal for a player who has scored three times in ten against them, ending the long wait for a man of that stature since Sanchez's prime.
Gordon may not have the glamor of Kvaratskhelia, but it says it all that Bundesliga giants Bayern are very keen on his signing – they don't do badly, do they?
Arsenal are speeding up a move to sign a £104m upgrade for Viktor Gyokeres
While the numbers suggest that Viktor Gyokeres is on the verge of playing for Arsenal, a deeper dive reveals that the Gunners are looking to make an immediate breakthrough.
