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Drawing comparisons between Mario Balotelli and Danny Welbeck is easy to do when both men are similar ages at 24 and 23, respectively, and have joined new clubs for the same price of £16million this summer in Liverpool and Arsenal.
But it is there the similarities end in terms of the impact the two strikers have had. A first career hat-trick for the Gunners man as they beat Galatasaray 4-1 on the same night the Italian failed to even once step inside the box in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat at Basel further laid bare the difference between the two forwards.
And the statistics do the former Manchester City striker no favours when it comes to analysing his effect at Anfield in contrast to Welbeck's at the Emirates. In practically every category the England man comes up trumps, though Wednesday night's hat-trick against the Turkish outfit has played a huge role in that.
Balotelli v Welbeck so far this season:
Publicly, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has emphasised the Italian international's willingness to work for the team – something many doubted Balotelli would do – but his lack of goals is a concern, particularly with star man Daniel Sturridge still battling his way back to fitness. The Italian has only netted once in the narrow Champions League win over European minnows Ludogorets, and on that night his impact was miminal.
In stark contrast, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been left purring at his new acquisition's quick adaptation and the Frenchman even admitted to being surprised by just how talented Welbeck is. A hat-trick against Gala, which included three finishes of the highest quality, plus a Premier League goal against Aston Villa has given the England forward a great start to life in north London, thoughcomparisons to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry seem dreadfully premature.
One mere scrap of consolation is that Balotelli does edge his Gunners counterpart in terms of chances created, though that is offset by the fact Welbeck has chalked up an assist by setting up Mesut Ozil in the 3-0 win over Aston Villa, whereas the Italian has yet to do similarly for any of his Reds team-mates.
Tellingly, Rodgers stated during the summer he had no interest in signing Balotelli earlier this summer, only to backtrack once the 24-year-old's price was slashed and after he had missed out on bigger targets such as Alexis Sanchez - ironically to Arsenal - and Edinson Cavani.
There is no doubting that the Italian striker has all the attributes to be a world class player, but when clubs such as Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan have given up on you and esteemed coaches like Jose Mourinho deem you not worth the trouble, unsurprisingly it leads people to question whether Balotelli will ever fulfil his potential.
The return of Sturridge could prove pivotal in helping his new team-mate – with the pair looking capable of a bright partnership in the 3-0 win at Tottenham – but at the moment there is no doubting that, given the choice, Rodgers would happily have Arsenal's new golden boy, Welbeck, in his ranks.
The former Manchester United striker's 'electric' pace and tuition he received on the flank at Old Trafford has already been noted by Wenger, and now given the chance to start through the middle, he is repaying the Frenchman's faith and leaving Liverpool boss Rodgers wondering if he spent his own £16m wisely.
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