Arsenal endured another frustrating setback over the weekend as their chances of closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool slipped. Mikel Arteta’s side could only manage a 1-1 draw against Fulham, highlighting their struggles to seize opportunities this season.

The Gunners’ performance was underwhelming, with mistakes scattered across the pitch. The left wing was especially criticized, as Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli both failed to make a notable impact. Fans were left disheartened as Arsenal missed a vital chance to strengthen their title challenge, leaving doubts about their consistency going forward.

The frustration grows as a player sold by the club in 2019 is now outscoring both of them.

Arsenal’s 2019 Departures

Before focusing on the player in question, let’s review how some of the other exits from that summer have fared, beginning with midfield dynamo Aaron Ramsey.

The Welshman moved to Juventus on a free transfer that summer but struggled to make an impact in Turin. After 70 mostly substitute appearances over three seasons and a brief loan to Rangers, the Caerphilly native joined OGC Nice on a free. He played more regularly in France, but after just one season, he returned to Cardiff City, his boyhood club, where he remains, although persistent injuries have limited him to just 17 appearances since last summer.

A player who has fared better since leaving the Emirates is Danny Welbeck, who also left for free, choosing to move to Watford.

However, he only spent a season in Hertfordshire before his contract was terminated, at which point he made the brilliant decision to join Brighton & Hove Albion, where he’s been since.

In all, the former Arsenal forward has scored 32 goals and provided ten assists in 141 appearances for the Seagulls.

Unreal from @DannyWelbeck! 💫 pic.twitter.com/NkDxHLvet9 — Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 14, 2023

However, this season, his tally stands at an impressive six goals and two assists in 14 league games, which is a similar level of output to the player in question.

The former Arsenal star outscoring Martinelli & Trossard

So, while Welbeck and Ramsey left for free in 2019, Arsenal were able to make some money from departures, including the player in question, Alex Iwobi.

Yes, the Nigerian international, who came up through the Hale End academy, was finally sold that summer for a pretty sizable fee: £35m.

The Lagos-born dynamo had been a reliable, if unremarkable, performer for the club for quite some time, but when Everton made that offer, it felt too good to turn down, so the club decided to cash in on an academy product.

During his time at Goodison Park, the 28-year-old made 140 first-team appearances, scoring nine goals and providing 16 assists. In September 2023, he returned to London, joining Fulham for £22m, including add-ons.

Since then, the “exceptional” talent, as described by Statman Dave, has netted 11 goals and registered five assists in 50 appearances, with this season marking a significant improvement.

For instance, in just 17 appearances, he has scored five goals and added three assists, mainly from the left wing, making comparisons to Martinelli and Trossard intriguing.

In contrast, the Belgian has scored four goals and provided two assists in 20 appearances, while the Brazilian has slightly outperformed him with four goals and three assists in the same number of games.

Martinelli and Trossard have demonstrated in the past that they can reach the level Arteta and Arsenal expect, but this season, Iwobi is outperforming them in terms of goals and overall contribution.

While the club made a smart move financially by selling him in 2019, it’s intriguing to think about how he might have fared in this system.