There has been plenty to like about the Wellington Phoenix through the first eight rounds of the A-League Men season.

But most pleasing of all is how they haven’t been overly reliant on star striker Oskar Zawada in notching up five wins and putting themselves on top of the ladder.

The Polish striker was absent injured for the second time in four matches on Monday as the Phoenix defeated Macarthur FC 3-0 at their Campbelltown Stadium home.

Zawada also missed the 1-0 win over Melbourne City at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland in November.

He returned off the bench the following week as the Phoenix beat Western United away 1-0, then started in last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to the Newcastle Jets, where he was forced off with a thigh contusion.

That the Phoenix have won both matches Zawada has missed has been a welcome sight, as they became too reliant on him last season as they finished sixth, then lost in week one of the finals series.

Four of his 15 goals last season came in four 1-0 wins – two over Sydney FC, one over Brisbane Roar and one over Macarthur.

Two more were the second goals in 2-1 wins – over Central Coast Mariners and the Newcastle Jets – while another was the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Adelaide United.

The 4-1 win over Macarthur that was the Phoenix’s first last season was the only victory in which he didn’t score, as he later contributed the third goal in a 3-0 win over Western United.

There were also two equalisers in 1-1 draws, making for a total of 20 points out of 35 that were in a sense secured by Zawada goals.

This season, the Phoenix are already more than halfway towards matching last season’s total of nine wins, with five to their name and another 18 rounds still to come.

Zawada has netted in two of them – grabbing the first goal in a 2-1 win over Perth Glory at Sky Stadium in round two, then scoring the first hat-trick of his senior professional career with the second, fourth and fifth goals in a 5-2 win over Brisbane Roar at the same venue a week later.

After winning just once without him scoring last season, the Phoenix have now done so three times this season – twice when he’s been absent altogether, then when he was limited to half an hour off the bench against Western United.

If you consider the scorers of winners and equalisers, Zawada has gone from securing more than half the Phoenix’s points last summer to so far securing none this summer – though he has still played his part in their success and you can be sure his time in the spotlight will come.

Bulgarian international Bozhidar Kraev has joined Zawada in scoring four goals, including the opener on Monday.

All White Kosta Barbarouses opened his account with a brace against Macarthur after 17 matches without finding the back of the net – reward for beginning the season looking as good as he ever has in a Phoenix shirt.

The Phoenix have a tight turnaround before hosting Western Sydney Wanderers at Sky Stadium on Saturday, then are in action again the following Friday, away to Sydney FC.

Coach Giancarlo Italiano said Zawada had gone for an ultrasound on Monday, after his thigh injury took longer to heal than first anticipated.

“At first, we didn’t think it was too serious and then it escalated during the week, but we’re still hopeful that it’ll be right for this week.”

If it isn’t, Italiano can at least be confident he doesn’t need to rush the striker back into the starting lineup – something his predecessor Ufuk Talay wouldn’t have been so sure of, had his talisman ever been injured last season.