The term 'statement win' can sometimes be a bit overused these days, but it is harder to think of a more accurate way to describe Arsenal's seismic win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta's men started the game in much the same way they started the FA Cup tie a month earlier, only this time, they made sure to put away their chances.
That said, while they had their finishing boots on for the visit of the Merseysiders, the Gunners' lack of a clinical number nine has cost them on multiple occasions this campaign and could ultimately be why they aren't lifting the trophy come May.
With that in mind, it wasn't surprising to see a plethora of quality nines touted for a move to the Emirates last month, with Brentford's Ivan Toney chief among them.
However, while the Englishman would've been a brilliant signing and might still be one in the summer, Arsenal might just have a top-class striker on their hands already in one of their academy products.
Arsenal's Toney interest
The Gunners' interest in Brentford ace Toney started long before January, but it was in the last month that the links and rumours went into overdrive, with a new story related to the link coming out seemingly every day.
However, with the striker expressing his desire to repay the Bees for sticking with him during his football ban and the rumoured £100m it would have cost to get him out of west London midway through the season, the Gunners opted not to sign the Englishman.
While this decision undoubtedly left some Arsenal fans feeling disappointed when the window finally closed last month, it also means there is still a path to the first team for a Hale End graduate flying out on loan this season, Mika Biereth.
Why fans should be excited about Mika Biereth
Now, the first thing to clear up is that, regardless of how well the 20-year-old has done on loan or for the youth sides, he simply won't be able to come right into the first team and score the 20-odd league goals that would be expected of a Toney or equivalent striker. It would be wholly unreasonable to expect that.
However, based on his record at youth level and how he has adapted while out on loan, there's no reason he couldn't eventually reach that point – and for significantly less money.
The Danish U21 star began his career with Fulham before signing for the Gunners. Across both clubs, he made 67 appearances, scored a remarkable 37 goals and provided 20 assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.17 games.
Arsenal
Fulham
26
41
12
25
5
15
0.68
0.97
With such an impressive record in the youth teams, it only made sense to send him out on loan, and so spells with Motherwell and RKC Waalwijk followed, where he scored 13 goals and provided five assists across a combined 28 appearances for the sides, meaning that at senior level, he is averaging a goal involvement every 2.15 games, which is outstanding for a youngster.
His most recent move has seen him join Austrian giants Sturm Graz for the rest of this season, and unsurprisingly, he's scoring there as well. The Hale End star scored on his competitive debut for the club to give them a 2-0 lead in the Austrian Cup Quarter Final.
Ultimately, Arsenal's need for a lethal striker is no secret. Unfortunately, that means that whoever they choose to sign in the summer will have a premium slapped on top.
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While it is still worth paying that for the short term, there is something about the "excellent" Biereth, as described by Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell, something that suggests he could well be the long-term answer to the Gunners' goalscoring woes.
