Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has created a squad that’s unrecognisable from the one he first inherited when he took over at the Emirates over six years ago. Gone are the overpaid, over-the-hill men that led the Gunners to mid-table mediocrity, and in their place have come young and hungry stars determined to deliver success to North London. The results speak for themselves.
Arteta’s first starting XI sat in tenth place in the Premier League table. Fast forward to now, and Arsenal are the runaway league leaders, sitting four points clear of Manchester City, with online bookmakers making the Gunners the overwhelming favourites to secure the title for the first time since the Invincibles 22 years ago. The popular Lucky Rebel platform lists the current table-toppers as the 2/7 favourites to reign supreme this term, with Pep Guardiola’s second-place Blues some way back at 5/2, although those odds have tightened after the recent 1-1 draw at Brentford.
Arsenal’s Never-Ending Wait for a Prolific Striker
But if there were to be one criticism of the squad that Arteta has spent the last six years assembling, it would be that there is still no striker capable of bagging 20 goals a season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were the forwards that the Spanish boss initially inherited, and still no striker has managed to hit that 20-a-season mark since Auba plundered 22 in 2019/20, Arteta’s first season in charge.
Since then, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and now Viktor Gyokeres have all tried and failed, with the latter of that squadron the most disappointing. Arsenal forked out £63.5m to sign the prolific Swede from Sporting CP last summer after two goal-laden years in the Portuguese capital. However, since arriving in North London, the 27-year-old has managed just eight Premier League goals, and the 20-mark for the season seems well out of reach with just three months of the campaign remaining.
So, throughout this meteoric rise under Arteta, who has scored the most goals? Someone must have, right? Well, without further ado, let us reveal it for you.
Bukayo Saka
Academy product Bukayo Saka was handed his debut under former manager Unai Emery, but it has been Arteta who has fully placed his faith in the young English prodigy. Boy, has he been rewarded for that gamble.
Saka was in Arteta’s first-ever Gunners starting eleven in the 0-0 draw away at Everton. A month later, he had his first goal under the Spaniard in an FA Cup victory against Bournemouth, before also netting his first Premier League goal in the 2-0 win away at Wolves in April. From there, the sky was the limit.
Saka would develop into Arsenal’s talisman, despite his tender years. He won back-to-back player of the year awards in 2021/22 and 2022/23, scoring 27 goals across those two campaigns. Fast forward to now, and the sensational winger is the first name on the Arsenal team sheet, with 74 goals (and 75 assists) bagged throughout Arteta’s reign. Despite his netting just seven times this term, more goals are expected between now and the end of the season as Arsenal looks to close out its Premier League title chase.
Gabriel Martinelli
Another young prodigy Arteta turned to when he first took charge of the club is rapid winger Gabriel Martinelli, although injuries derailed much of his first two years under his new Spanish boss. Throughout the 21/22 season, the Brazilian began to find his feet, returning to full fitness and providing goals and assists on a regular basis. Then in 22/23 he shone opposite Bukayo Saka, netting a career-high 15 league goals as the Gunners came within a whisker of the title.
Since then, the Gunners academy product has had to share his game time on the left-hand flank, alternating with Leandro Trossard. Still, he has netted the second-most goals of anybody under Arteta, with 53 goals in 239 appearances.
Martin Ødegaard
Some would argue that the addition of Martin Ødegaard was the moment that Arteta’s Arsenal rebuild began to take shape. The Norwegian playmaker had been highly thought of as a youngster, breaking onto the scene in his homeland at just 14 years of age, before securing a move to Real Madrid. However, game time in the Spanish capital was somewhat limited, and after just eight appearances in six years, the former Strømsgodset prodigy needed a change of scenery.
Arteta brought the creative ace to the Emirates, initially on loan, before signing him permanently in the summer of 2021. Since then, the Norwegian has gone on to become one of the stars of the show in Arsenal’s rebirth. Ødegaard was immediately impressive with not only his ability to unlock defences, but also his willingness to press from the front when his side was out of possession. It is that tenacity that saw him named Arsenal captain just one year on from his arrival in North London.
Ødegaard has netted 42 goals throughout Arteta’s reign, good enough for third on the list. Injuries have derailed his efforts so far this season, but he is now back at peak fitness for the upcoming run-in. Keeping him on the pitch and at the peak of his powers will be crucial if Arsenal are to outlast City and claim the title.
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