There are many incentives and narratives going into Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Arsenal and Newcastle - but all roads seem to lead to Alexander Isak.
The Newcastle striker will have a lot of eyes on him. The cries for Arsenal to sign a new forward are getting louder and the 25-year-old seems like the perfect fit.
"If I was Arsenal and had the money, I'd go out and buy Isak," former Gunners forward and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said last week. "I'd break the bank for him. He's the best of the best and takes Arsenal to another level."
Isak to Arsenal is a move that has been talked about without a real approach being made. But there are some signs that the Gunners could well be planning that approach.
The signing of Mikel Merino last summer meant, alongside Martin Odegaard, the Gunners currently have two of the starting three midfielders from the Real Sociedad squad from the 2019-20 season. The centre forward in that team? Isak.
Outgoing La Real sporting director Roberto Olabe - who signed Isak to the La Liga club in that same season - has also been rumoured as one of the names under consideration to replace Edu as Arsenal's transfer chief.
But the main reason Arsenal would move for him is he is one of the best strikers in Europe right now. That and the Gunners perhaps lacking that 'killer' forward up front in their pursuit of the title.
Since the last week of October, only Mohamed Salah has more goals in all competitions out of any player in the continent's top five leagues.
One of those goals was a winner against Arsenal at the start of November - he has scored in all but two of the ten Premier League games since then.
Add three assists in that run and Isak is demonstrating why he is deemed the best all-round striker in the division.
But the spike in goals and assists came out of the blue. Newcastle's slow start to the season plus a toe injury for the Swede left him with just one goal in their first eight league fixtures.
But as soon as Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was able to find balance in critical areas of the pitch, it has provided a structure for Isak to flourish within.
"The team is creating for him as well," said Howe. "It's not him doing it on his own, the team is playing in a really good way in terms of not for Alex but other players as well. We're seeing goals from different aspects of the team.
"When you've gone on the run that we've gone on, you wouldn't be doing that if it was just one player. Alex is playing his part by finishing the moves off, but delighted how the players are creating for them."
The balance and structure was found when Howe moved Sandro Tonali into the defensive midfield role, allowing captain and midfield lynchpin Bruno Guimaraes the freedom to move higher up.
Since that switch, influenced by the 4-2 defeat to Brentford on December 7 after which Guimaraes called his team a "mess", Newcastle have won all of their six games across all competitions.
It has led to claims that the midfield three of Guimaraes, Tonali and Joelinton are the best midfield trio in the country.
"I'm not watching every Premier League game so it's a difficult one to comment on," Howe said when that suggestion was put to him.
"I love the three players who are in there. It's a strong area at the moment, they have built strong relationships with each other."
The other area of stability that has benefited Isak comes on Newcastle's right hand side.
Howe trialled Harvey Barnes and Joelinton - even Anthony Gordon - as possible right wing options but the decision to go with long-serving option Murphy has done his team and Isak's form wonders.
The winger has the best 'minutes per assist' record in the Newcastle team this season and four of those lay-offs have resulted in Isak goals, three of which have come in the last month.
Overall, Isak and Murphy have combined for eight goals - it is the best partnership the Swedish striker has forged in his career to date. Guimaraes, meanwhile, is not far behind on the list.
It is one of the many reasons why losing Guimaraes to suspension for Tuesday's semi-final at Arsenal is a major blow. Just as Newcastle have found their structure to support their star striker, they will have to readjust for one of their biggest games of the season.
"I've got no doubt it will be a slight change for us to be without Bruno, only he can do what he does," says Howe.
While Newcastle are providing the structure to support Isak, there is no doubt he is the jewel in the crown. "If I had £150m, I'd pay it to have you at any club," Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher told the striker last week.
With his ascent to becoming one of the world's elite strikers certain, the only questions that appear to remain around Isak are, when does a team come in for him? How much will they have to pay? And will that club be Arsenal?
Howe's focus, meanwhile, is delivering the trophy that could convince the likes of Isak and Guimaraes to stay for longer.
"It would no doubt help us in every respect, whatever angle you want to take," said the Newcastle boss when asked if a Carabao Cup trophy win would do that.
"But we can't concern ourselves with the outcome. We have Arsenal and that's hard enough."
Hard without Guimaraes, a much easier prospect with Isak.
Watch Arsenal vs Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg live on Sky Sports from 7pm; kick-off 8pm
