As Arsenal romped to a 6-0 win over Declan Rice's former employers, West Ham, on Sunday, it marked a special win not only for the club but for a certain Bukayo Saka.
Alongside Mikel Arteta the 22-year-old has carried this club to new heights in recent campaigns with the cherry on top potentially being a Premier League title in May.
For now, however, he will be content to have registered his 100th goal contribution in Arsenal colours.
That was brought up with a spot-kick in the first half of that thrashing over the weekend before in typical Saka fashion, he scored a second by cutting inside and fizzing an effort past Alphonse Areola.
When asked if he knew he'd reached a century for the Gunners post-match, he raised that innocent smile of his that simply makes you weak at the knees. Not just boasting elite finesse on the pitch, the England star has the type of bubbly personality that makes him one of the most well-liked players in the game.
But where did that quest for 100-goal involvements start? In the Europa League against Frankfurt in September 2019. You can probably guess the goal. Yep, that's right, he cut inside and deliciously curled the ball into the far corner: trademark Saka.
However, he isn't the only young Gunner to make their mark in that competition in years gone.
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka copycat
The 8th September 2022 will be a day that forever goes down in history for a particularly sad reason. It was the day Her Majesty the Queen passed away, leaving behind a remarkable legacy having sat on the British throne for 70 years. Coincidentally, it came during Arsenal's meeting with FC Zurich in the Europa League.
Football the following weekend was postponed but on Swiss shores on that Thursday evening, play continued. For one young Arsenal star, it will be a day they never forget though. Thankfully, for all the right reasons.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.
The player in question is Marquinhos, a dazzling Brazilian footballer with the world at his feet. So we thought anyway.
As Arteta's men sealed a 2-1 win over Zurich, the winger scored his first and sadly, only goal for the north Londoners. Eddie Nketiah raced down the right-hand side and then slid the ball across the box perfectly for Marquinhos to find the net on his debut.
It was an exciting start to life in English football for the winger who was just 19 at the time. Speaking after the game, Martin Keown compared him to a former Arsenal player, as well as Saka:
"It was like Saka in that position, it’s almost a copycat performance. That’s what you’re really looking for. He looked a bit like a [Serge] Gnabry type player. He’s short, stocky, explosive pace. He looked very classy. He picked and chose his moments cleverly, whipped a couple of crosses in."
However, since that moment he's never rarely been seen in the famous red and white.
Why Marquinhos is leaving Arsenal
As it happens the 20-year-old is now on the verge of leaving Arsenal, only a year and a bit after that fantastic introduction.
It's been reported that he is set to seal a loan-to-buy move to Fluminense in his homeland. The youngster will return back to Brazil after what feels like a very fleeting stay in the capital, making just six appearances for the Gunners' first team.
So, why has it never really happened for him in London? Well, the emergence and form of Saka won't have helped his cause, nor have some rather unconvincing loan spells.
His first was with Norwich City in the Championship where he actually made a lightning-quick start before things petered out badly. Describing his time at Carrow Road, Football FanCast writer and Norwich supporter Dan Emery said: "He had an unreal start with a goal and assist on debut and then flattered to deceive after that." Fair words.
Indeed, after such a promising debut for Norwich – as he had for Arsenal too – the wide man failed to score or assist across a further ten league appearances at the back end of 2022/23.
A temporary stint with Nantes in the first half of this campaign didn't go well either, assisting one goal across seven matches. Marquinhos didn't even start a game.
Unfortunately, he has never lived up to the dizzying heights expected of him by Keown. A talented individual there is no doubt about that, but Arsenal's trajectory is on the up and they need players ready to make an impact. The Brazilian, sadly, is not.
