It has been a breathless Premier League season so far this year, and as the competition takes a short break for the international fixtures, Arsenal find themselves atop the table again.
Mikel Arteta's side endured a rough patch of form around the festive period but have since fought back and are the most in-form side in the country, winning their last eight league games by an aggregate score of 33-4.
This incredible run is even more impressive, considering the Gunners have been without their first-choice striker, Gabriel Jesus, for much of it due to recurring injuries.
The Brazilian's return will only make the north Londoners stronger for the rest of the campaign, but Hale End could be set to provide the club with his potential replacement in the coming years.
Gabriel Jesus' Arsenal career in numbers
Jesus signed for the Gunners in July 2022 for a fee of around £45m, and while there have been plenty of impressive performances in the year and a half since, it's hard to be sure where the 26-year-old's future lies.
In his first season with the club, the Sao Paulo-born dynamo scored 11 goals and provided eight assists in just 33 games, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.7 games, which is an undeniably brilliant return for a striker playing for one of the 'big six.'
Games Missed Through Injury
17
16
Appearances
33
26
Goals
11
8
Assists
8
5
Goal Involvements per Match
0.57
0.5
However, the biggest problem for the former City ace is his injury record. Throughout the 2022/23 campaign, he missed 17 games due to a knee injury he sustained at the 2022 World Cup.
This season, the 5 foot 9 striker has scored eight goals and provided five assists in 26 outings for the Gunners, but he has already missed 16 matches through a hamstring injury and three flareups of the same knee problem that saw him miss a significant chunk of last year's action.
Jesus has made a few appearances off the bench recently and looks likely to play a consequential role in Arsenal's run-in. However, with a growing reputation for missing games, he could eventually see his place taken by an academy prospect who's currently making waves at Hale End.
Why fans should be excited about Chidozie Obi-Martin
The academy ace in question is Danish forward Chidozie Obi-Martin, who joined the Gunners' youth setup when he was 14 after his family moved to England.
Despite being just 16 years old, Obi-Martin has already made the forward position in the U18s side his own, scoring eight goals and providing two assists in just 11 appearances this season.
This form has led to respected data analyst Ben Mattinson describing the youngster as a "monster on the pitch" and someone with "the tools to be a star", which is hard to argue with considering he scored a remarkable ten goals in a single game against Liverpool's U16s last year.
The tremendously exciting prospect hasn't just been impressive in London, though. His record for Denmark's junior sides is equally brilliant.
Appearances
11
11
Goals
8
9
Assists
2
0
Goal Involvements per Match
0.90
0.81
In six appearances for the U16s, the "really quick" forward, as described by Arsenal legend Ian Wright, scored three goals, and in 11 games for the U17s, he has scored nine, meaning he's averaging a goal every 1.41 games for the Danish youth teams.
Ultimately, it will likely be some time until Obi-Martin regularly appears for the first team.
Jesus is now being outscored by Arsenal star who was sold for just £18m
The international star has been scoring for fun.
ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 17, 2024
Still, given his fantastic record and rapid development, his debut could come sooner than fans might expect, and when it does come, Jesus might just start looking over his shoulder that little bit more.