Arsenal's £21m bargain striker remains unbeaten amid record Ivan Toney can only dream of

The end of 2023 brought with it a spate of striker talk surrounding Arsenal as they failed to score against Aston Villa and West Ham and were unable to score enough against Liverpool and Fulham to find victory. However, the expectation that one would be found in the winter window was always tempered by the financial scrutiny the club was under and inevitably none were signed.

However, since the turn of the year the club have scored 21 goals in five games, averaging more than four goals per game including 11 in their last two away games and three in their win over league leaders Liverpool. Three players have been utilised in central roles across the five matches – Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus – and so far talk of signing a centre-forward has rightfully been quietened.

The Belgian, signed for an upfront fee of just £21million plus add-ons, has been a particular standout, scoring four in his last five games, with the previous two coming at the beginning of the games through the middle. Against both Crystal Palace and Liverpool they came operating off the left-hand side.

A rather stunning statistic for Trossard is in the ten starts for Arsenal at centre-forward he has never lost, winning nine and drawing one. The single draw was the 2-2 draw with Fulham at the start of this season and this was also the only game in which he failed to chip in with a goal contribution – being substituted at half-time.

In all the others, bar the 3-2 win over Bournemouth when he came off in the 22nd minute with an injury, he has contributed four goals and seven assists. It is fair to say Trossard has been an excellent addition to the squad and the positive omens surrounding him when he starts gives a real incentive for Arteta to