Arsenal are approaching the business end of their 22/23 campaign, having exceeded expectations and surged into title-chasing contention, indeed five points clear of current champions Manchester City having played 27 Premier League matches.
Having failed to qualify for the Champions League in any of the past six campaigns, the Gunners have indeed blitzed into prominence this season, casting aside the cobwebs of the preceding term after narrowly missing out on top-four in the dying embers.
Manager Mikel Arteta cannot be given enough credit, with the once overarching pessimism seeping into every corner of the Emirates Stadium dissipating and now replaced with a golden, luminous energy that looks promising in remaining intact for years to come.
The established frontline, consisting of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka, has been as effective as it has been emphatic, with fluidity and style now staple points of Arsenal's play, but given trips to face Liverpool at Anfield and Pep Guardiola's City at the Etihad Stadium loom, the squad will need to be firing on all cylinders to ensure that ground is not conceded with the business end of the campaign imminently ahead.
With this in mind, Arteta must look to utilise every available option with a secret weapon, that of Reiss Nelson, chomping at the bit for regular game time.
Why should Reiss Nelson start?
It has passed the hour mark in north London. Arsenal are playing their 26th Premier League match of the season and incredulously find lowly Bournemouth have just established a two-goal lead; with Man City defeating Newcastle United earlier in the day, Arteta's advantage over his former mentor, Pep Guardiola, could fall to just two points.
A strike from anchoring midfielder Thomas Partey shortly after halved the deficit, but it was their secret weapon, Nelson, who had played just 64 minutes of prior Premier League action, who stole the limelight after replacing Emile Smith Rowe, himself replacing the injured Leandro Trossard, just before 70 minutes on the clock, and what unfurled was remarkable.
Mere moments after coming on, the £15k-per-week Nelson whipped in a deep cross that was aptly met by right-back Ben White, restoring parity to thunderous applause, but with the clock ticking and the seven minutes of added time, Arsenal looked set to cede ground in the race against the imperious Citizens.
With practically the final kick of the match, Nelson stepped up to unleash a thumping effort into the back of the net after a desperate set-piece, sending the Emirates faithful into rapture, heralded as “unreal” by BBC's Gavin Ramjaun.
The 23-year--old has only played four top-flight matches all season, yet to start, but his three goals and two assists reaffirm to the world that he is a deadly utility option to boast, and as such, Arteta must entrust him with greater importance to the title-chasing marathon as the final stages loom.
Indeed, those numbers ensure that so far this term, he has a better minutes-to-goal and assist ratio than none other than man of the moment, Erling Haaland.
As per Sofascore, the lethal "threat" Nelson has an average league rating of 8.03, and his 1.5 shots and 1.5 key passes per outing could be imperative, with such a prolific and dynamic offensive approach indeed evidenced already thus far.
Man City are lurking behind like a tiger awaiting a hint of weakness, but with such stellar versatility at Arteta's disposal with Nelson going through the richest of purple patches on the pitch, the tantalising thought of lifting the glinted Premier League trophy might yet crystallise.