Why Arsenal brings back memories of Elber
Serhou Guirassy could still end the Champions League season with a title – Arsenal certainly poses no threat of competition. A look at the current top scorer list in the premier class.
His goals also took Arsenal to the Champions League semifinals: Bukayo Saka. IMAGO/Action Plus
The current Champions League season has already annihilated a record from last year before the semifinals, and the reform may have played a part in this. In 2023/24, Harry Kane (FC Bayern Munich) and Kylian Mbappé (then Paris Saint-Germain) were the top scorers in the Champions League with eight goals each. Four players currently surpass this record, including Kane himself (11).
The leader is Serhou Guirassy , who, with his 13 goals, can at least hold out hope of finishing this Champions League season with a trophy. However, he's being chased by two FC Barcelona players, Raphinha (12) and Robert Lewandowski (11), who have at least two more matches to play, while Guirassy and Borussia Dortmund are forced to sit back and watch.
Saka is Arsenal's top scorer - with five goalsThe BVB striker also benefited from the fact that this season's Champions League featured two more games per club in the preliminary round compared to the old group stage, and that some teams - including Borussia Dortmund - then had a newly created play-off round before the round of 16. However, a widespread effect has not been observed.
Inter Milan, which excelled defensively on its way to the semifinals, has Lautaro Martinez, a top scorer (8 goals), who is already far behind Guirassy and Raphinha. At Paris Saint-Germain, Ousmane Dembelé leads the league with seven goals. However, the fourth semifinalist easily beats that.
Five goals are enough for Bukayo Saka to top the club's rankings after twelve Champions League matches for Arsenal. The injured winger, who missed a penalty in the quarter-final second leg at Real Madrid ( 2-1 ) before scoring the opening goal, is thus following in historic footsteps.
Since the turn of the millennium, there have been three Champions League winners whose top scorer scored "only" five goals: Liverpool FC with Mohamed Salah in 2018/19 and Luis Garcia in 2004/05, and FC Porto with Benni McCarthy in 2003/04. Bayern Munich also displayed a minimalist approach in their 2000/01 triumph. Giovane Elber led the way for Bayern with six goals in 17 possible games.
While there were Champions League winners before 2000 with even more stingy top scorers—including BVB in 1996/97 with Lars Ricken and Karl-Heinz Riedle (4 each), back then, significantly fewer games were needed to win the trophy.
The 17 goals with which Cristiano Ronaldo became both top scorer and Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 2013/14 remain unmatched.
