Six points clear at the Premier League summit, still with the title in their hands, and into the last four of the Champions League at a canter - happy days for Arsenal, right?
Frustratingly not, it would appear, with the mood having soured greatly in recent weeks, none more so than due to the lack of attacking verve being shown by Mikel Arteta's men.
Martinelli-Arsenal-Sporting
On the flanks, in particular, the Gunners' pool of forwards have gone off the boil, merely showing fits and starts without a clear first-choice ever emerging.
In the case of Gabriel Martinelli, for instance, the Brazilian provided the decisive assist away in Lisbon last week, only to subsequently register just nine touches all game in the defeat to Bournemouth.
Martinelli vs Bournemouth
Stat
Minutes
Touches
Pass rate
Key passes
Crosses
Shots
Ball lost
Dribbles
Total duels won
Tackles
That left flank, since the heady days of Alexis Sanchez, has long been an issue in north London, but can Andrea Berta solve it this summer?
Arsenal holding the advantage in race to sign £75m winger
There have been, it would be fair to say, some rather fanciful rumours in recent weeks relating to Arsenal's left-wing targets, with reports earlier this month suggesting that the club had been exploring a possible move for Paris Saint-Germain sensation, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Ligue 1 side - who the Gunners could potentially face in the Champions League final - are unsurprisingly in no mood to sell one of their many prize assets, with an asking price of around £157m having been mooted.
At a time when Berta and co might well have to sell to help buy, that deal is merely a non-starter, ensuring further targets will have to be explored.
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As per the latest reporting via journalist Charlie Wyett, Arsenal could well hold the advantage in the race for wantaway Newcastle United man, Anthony Gordon, even with both Liverpool and Bayern Munich currently in the mix.
The belief is that the Gunners can be considered the frontrunners as Gordon is said to favour a move to London over any other city, having placed the Englishman high up on their list of summer targets.
anthony-gordon-newcastle-sunderland
The report does note that the league leaders are also considering other alternatives, yet the 25-year-old could be set to move for a fee of around £75m.
Why Gordon would be Arsenal's best signing Alexis
As noted above, there's been no semblance of consistency from either Martinelli or Leandro Trossard on the flank for a fair while now, with Arteta having so often relied on Bukayo Saka on the opposite side.
Since the start of 2024/25, Trossard has netted just 17 goals in all competitions, only 13 of which have come in the Premier League, while Martinelli has scored 21 times, albeit while netting only once in this season's Premier League.
Just six league goals between them in 2025/26 simply isn't up to par, with Arsenal crying out for a figure like Sanchez in his pomp, the Chilean scoring 80 goals in 166 games for the club.
Alexis Sanchez Arsenal record (timeless)
For comparison, Trossard and Martinelli have scored just 97 goals between them from 436 combined games at the Emirates.
Therein lies the stark decline in quality, something that Gordon may well look to solve, 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 speedster hasn't been at his blistering best, although his return of six Premier League goals still places him ahead of both Martinelli and Trossard, while having also provided a stellar ten goals from his 12 Champions League outings.
Creatively too, he also appears to better the Arsenal pair, having created five 'big chances' in the top-flight this season, ahead of what Trossard (four) and Martinelli (three) have achieved.
Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon applauds fans after the match
Equally too, his eye-catching talent can be seen in his superior record with regard to successful dribbles completed, having averaged 1.3 per game, far ahead of Trossard (0.6) and Martinelli's (0.7) own average.
Perhaps that speaks to Newcastle's desire to play on the counter, and the space Gordon is able to work in, yet there is a relentlessness and a directness to his game that neither of Arsenal's left-wing options are showing right now.
Eyebrows were raised when the Tynesiders forked out £45m to sign him from Merseyside back in 2023, although Gordon has repaid his current side handsomely, up to 67 goals and assists in 152 games since then.
For £75m, the Gunners could secure their own astute deal for a player who has scored three in ten against them, ending the lengthy wait for a truly standout figure on that flank since Sanchez in his pomp.
Alexis-Sanchez-Arsenal
Gordon may not have the glamour of a Kvaratskhelia, but it says it all that Bundesliga giants Bayern are so keen on his signature - they rarely get things wrong, do they?
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