Arsenal's win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon has blown open the Premier League title race.
Mikel Arteta's men were spectacular on the night and managed to amass an awe-inspiring expected goals figure of 3.76 – the most the Reds have conceded under Jürgen Klopp.
Yet, there were still a couple of notable misses from the home side, such as the header from Bukayo Saka in the first half and the one from Jakub Kiwior in the second 45 that highlighted the team's need for a clinical number nine.
Former Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema was heavily touted for a move to N5 last month, and while some fans would have been understandably disappointed that he wasn't signed, his absence means there is still a chance for one of Hale End's most impressive graduates to make his way into the team.
The Gunners' interest in Benzema
Historically speaking, the north Londoners have been interested in signing the French number nine for well over a decade at this point, with stories from 2013 touting him for a move to the Emirates when it looked as if it wasn't going to work out for him at the Bernabéu – how different things could have been.
However, in this instance, the links to the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner originated last month when a flood of stories claimed the striker was unhappy in Saudi Arabia and was seeking a move back to Europe.
A number of clubs were linked, including Chelsea, Lyon and Arsenal, but in the end, the Frenchman remained with Al-Ittihad – an outcome his accountant surely celebrated.
While the arrival of a veteran who scored 19 goals in 24 La Liga appearances last season would have undoubtedly improved the Gunners in the short-term, his absence could pay dividends in the long-term.
Arsenal's great hope
Hale End has long produced some brilliant talent for the Arsenal first team – look at Saka and Emile Smith Rowe – and it seems like it has created another star in the making, Ethan Nwaneri.
Now, the first thing to note is that, yes, the 16-year-old is currently considered to be an attacking midfielder and not an out-and-out number nine like Benzema is, but there is no apparent reason as to why he couldn't be given a chance to play there; after all, Harry Kane started out as a deep-lying midfielder as a youth player.
Moreover, the London-born gem is no stranger to the centre-forward role as it's his second most played position with Arsenal's youth sides, and his goal record suggests that he should be playing higher up the pitch to boot.
Described as "a true goal-scorer" by data analyst Ben Mattinson, in his 42 appearances for Arsenal across the U18, U21 and UEFA Youth League sides, Nwaneri has scored 20 goals and provided nine assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.44 games – a genuinely impressive return for a 16-year-old.
Ethan Nwaneri's Youth Career
Club
Arsenal
Appearances
42
Goals
20
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.69
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Arteta clearly sees a bright future ahead for the "sensational" youngster, as dubbed by Mattinson, as he made him the youngest Premier League player of all time when he gave him his debut against Brentford last season at just 15 years and 181 days old.
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Ultimately, the chance to sign Benzema is gone, and while the club might finally add an experienced number nine to the team in the summer, the emergence of Nwaneri is something that should excite fans, and if he is given a chance to prove his abilities in the first team he could go on to do great things in north London.
With the 36-year-old Benzema would have been an eye-catching short-term fix for the title hopefuls, Nwaneri could represent a sparkling long-term solution for those at N17…