It was only in 2021/22 that Mikel Arteta's side failed to secure a top-four finish thanks to a late-season collapse that included a humbling 3-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur.
However, since that disastrous run, the Gunners have transformed into serious and consistent title challengers in the Premier League, in large part thanks to the manager and his signings, such as Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and even Kai Havertz.
That said, as well as the German international played in the second half of last season, one of Arsenal's former centre-forwards, who couldn't quite make it work in North London, actually outscored him and has been for a couple of years now.
Havertz's recent record
Arsenal made the £65m signing of Havertz last summer. It was quite a surprise to see the Gunners spend so much money on the German because, while he certainly has talent, he was coming off a rather underwhelming campaign in West London.
Havertz-Arsenal-Chelsea
In that final year in blue, he scored nine goals and provided just one assist in 47 appearances, meaning he maintained a pretty poor average of a goal involvement every 4.7 games, and we say poor because 30 of those appearances came in the centre-forward position.
However, once the dust had settled following his move to the Emirates and got up to speed with the rest of Arteta's squad, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace showed the rest of the league that he was still the same player so many people were excited about in Germany.
In his first season in red and white, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he maintained a more impressive average of goal involvement every 2.42 games for the Gunners, and that's taking into account that he made 32 of his 51 appearances in midfield.
However, he'll have to really play out of his skin to outscore a former Arsenal flop over the course of the next ten months who's been outscoring him for the last couple of years.
Perez's recent record
Yes, the player in question is Lucas Perez, who joined Arsenal from Deportivo La Coruna in the summer of 2016 for a fee in the region of £17m.
lucas-perez-arsenal
However, after just a season with the club, in which he scored seven goals - including a Champions League hat-trick - and provided five assists in 21 games, he was loaned back to Deportivo, after which he was then sold to West Ham United for about £4m.
Over the next few years, the A Coruña-born poacher would move from East London to Alaves to Elche to Cadiz before eventually returning to his boyhood club Deportivo, where he remains today, but don't let the constant moves fool you; he's been an effective goalscorer for a few years now.
For example, in 22/23, the 5 foot 11 marksman scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in 36 matches, equating to a goal involvement once every 1.71 games.
He followed that up with an even more impressive campaign the following season, in which he scored 16 goals and provided 19 assists in just 35 appearances, meaning he maintained an incredible average of a goal involvement every game.
Havertz vs Perez
22/23
Havertz
Perez
Games
47
36
Goals
9
13
Assists
1
8
Goal involvements per match
0.21
0.58
23/24
Havertz
Appearances
51
35
Goals
14
16
Assists
7
19
Goal involvements per match
0.41
1.00
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Now, there is the obvious caveat that he is playing in a weaker league with far less pressure on his shoulders, but it is interesting to see how a player who struggled to adapt to Arsenal has since thrived back in Spain.
Ultimately, there is a good chance that Perez will again outscore Havertz this season, but given their respective performances last year, both strikers seem to be at the perfect clubs for them.
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