Arsenal kicked off what could be a defining period in the season with a 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby at the weekend.
That marked the first of nine fixtures in the Premier League and Europa League in October alone and the first of 13 matches across three competitions in six weeks as the season will pause after the weekend of November 12/13 due to the winter World Cup taking place in Qatar.
For many managers, including Mikel Arteta, the volume of games in a short period Is likely to increase the risk of injuries amongst a squad and this represents somewhat of a nightmare scenario for Arsenal especially as Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney don't have the best fitness records.