From witnessing a player wearing No. 14 effortlessly navigate defenders and score the opening goal, to seeing Anthony Gordon replicate Thierry Henry's iconic corner flag celebration after doubling Newcastle United's lead, the message was clear.
More concretely, Arsenal's finishing at Emirates Stadium was woeful, a key factor in their 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal. This loss puts Newcastle in a commanding position to advance.
The performance of Alexander Isak, a player Arsenal has been tracking, only amplified the issue. While Isak has a long way to go to reach Henry's legendary status, his current form suggests he could be the best forward in England, if not further afield.
Isak's 14th goal in his last 15 games, while partly due to a fortunate deflection off Jacob Murphy, showcased his deadly finishing. He capitalized on the opportunity, firing the ball high into the net.
The 25-year-old also played a crucial role in Newcastle's second goal six minutes into the second half. Isak received Murphy's pass in the box and his shot was parried by David Raya into the path of Gordon, who scored.
"I think [he's the best striker in Europe]," Gordon told ITV Sport. "I think everyone is in agreement with that. He's on fire. Even for my goal. I'm just gambling back post."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta echoed this sentiment.
"He was involved in both goals as well," he said. "Unfortunately, the two times he had the ball in the box and that's what happens when you have real quality up front and they can make the difference, and they're very clinical."
The pressure on Arsenal to invest in a player like Isak will intensify after this match, especially given their numerous missed chances.
Before Isak's opener, Gabriel Martinelli hit the post after a through-ball from Leandro Trossard. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhães also had shots blocked. Perhaps the most glaring miss came when Havertz failed to connect cleanly with a deflected cross from Trossard, sending the ball wide.
Newcastle substituted Isak in the final 25 minutes due to a hamstring issue and then employed a defensive formation, effectively stifling Arsenal's attack.
Despite this, Arsenal's expected goals (xG) total reached 3.12, the highest for a Premier League team this season without scoring.
This statistic highlights Arsenal's inefficiency. Despite 23 shots, only three were on target, with just one from open play.
"If you look at what both teams produced and the dominance it is not the result that reflects the story of the game but the reality is they were super efficient with the chances they had and we weren't," Arteta said.
When questioned about the missed chances potentially becoming a psychological issue, Arteta instead focused on the Puma ball used in the match, different from the usual Nike ball used in the Premier League.
"Nothing, just try and show them, give them tips of what we can do better," he said.
"I think we kicked a lot of the balls over the bar and it is tricky: this ball flies a lot. We discuss that as well so there are details we can do better. But at the end, that's gone. This is no way back, it is about the next game. That is our world."
The ball, however, didn't seem to trouble Isak. He has now scored 50 goals for Newcastle in all competitions and since his debut in August 2022, only Erling Haaland (105) and Mohamed Salah (73) have scored more goals in all competitions among Premier League players.
Newcastle fans are hopeful Isak will stay at the club and win trophies.
His estimated £150 million price tag may deter potential buyers this transfer window, and the prospect of a Carabao Cup Final could further incentivize him to remain.
Historically, teams with a two-goal lead after a semifinal first leg away win have always progressed to the final.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe commented on Isak's 50-goal milestone: "It is a brilliant return and I think every team needs a good striker."
After Isak's substitution, Arteta was seen looking intently at the Newcastle dugout, perhaps contemplating the same thought.
