This summer, both Manchester United and Arsenal have "broken the sack" to bring in top strikers.
And when they face it at Old Trafford, all eyes will be on Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko. These are two strikers that both clubs hope to take them to a new level.
The names Gyokeres and Sesko have been the focus of discussion for Man United and Arsenal fans for the past year. They are both chasing two of the most sought-after strikers in Europe.
Gyokeres' career once flourished under Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP. Therefore, when the Portuguese strategist moved to Old Trafford in November last year, it was understandable that he wanted to recruit his former student.
However, Gyokeres soon confirmed that he only wanted to join a club with a place in the Champions League. At that time, the advantage was in Arsenal's favor.
However, the "Gunners" still have special attention for Sesko. The striker's representative, Elvis Basanovic, was even present at the Emirates in the final home match of last season against Newcastle.
At the end of May, it was reported that Arsenal wanted to pick Sesko as their new number 9. This has angered some of the Gunners' fans on social media, saying Gyokeres is the safer and more certain choice.
But in the end, new sporting director Andrea Berta convinced the club to change direction, spending £63 million to bring Gyokeres to London, instead of taking a risk with the Slovene striker.
Meanwhile, Sesko continues to miss the appointment with a famous transfer deal to the Premier League that he has always craved. Man United, after letting Chelsea get ahead in the Liam Delap deal and seeing Liverpool own Hugo Ekitike, have returned to the name they have pursued since 2019, then 2022 and 2023.
In the end, when Arsenal withdrew, the 21-year-old striker had only two options: Newcastle or the "Red Devils". And he quickly chose Man United, despite playing in the Champions League when he moved to St. Petersburg. James' Park, to wear the shirt of the most traditional team in England.
Man United and Arsenal have long long been hungry for a classy centre-forward. And that is the reason why both teams are willing to spend a lot of time and money on new contracts.
In theory, a number 9 is truly Arsenal's last missing piece. They have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.
Last season, Mikel Arteta's team had the most solid defense in the Premier League, conceding only 34 goals, less than champions Liverpool (41 goals).
However, their attack was disappointing. They have scored just 69, well behind last season's 91 goals - a campaign in which Arsenal lost the title to Man City just two points. That number is also much lower than the 88 goals in the 2022-2023 season.
No Arsenal player reached the 10-goal mark in the Premier League last season. Bukayo Saka's serious hamstring injury since December has seriously weakened the Gunners' attack.
Meanwhile, Kai Havertz - who finished the season as the team's best striker (9 goals) - had to miss the match since February due to a torn hamstring during a training trip in Dubai. That lack forced Arteta to push central midfielder Mikel Merino up to the front for the rest of the season.
It is worth mentioning that even without a real striker, Arsenal rarely have difficulty creating opportunities. But finishing is the key issue.
The waste of opportunities has kept them trapped for 14 Premier League games last season. Notably, in 12/18 matches dropping points, Arsenal had an expected goals (xG) that outperformed their opponents, but could not take advantage.
The match between Man United and Arsenal takes place at 22:30 on August 17 (Vietnam time).
