Despite a superb start to the season, it was hard to shake the feeling that Arsenal were only an injury away from their title hopes collapsing. By the time the World Cup came along, Mikel Arteta had started eight players in every Premier League match the Gunners had played. An absence for one of those and it could be curtains.
In fairness to Arsenal, when those injuries inevitably came, they coped well with smart January recruitment. Leandro Trossard helped take over the baton from Eddie Nketiah in Gabriel Jesus' absence, while Jorginho proved a more than adept sticking plaster during Thomas Partey's time on the sidelines.
As William Saliba's injury came along though, it felt that Arsenal's squad depth issues had finally caught up with them. They went on a four game winless run as Rob Holding's inability to cover effectively for the Frenchman became a real issue. Now though it seems as though Arsenal's third January signing could be a solution.
