Arsenal's summer transfer window seen in new light as early injury crisis strikes

Arsenal supporters have praised their newly-acquired squad depth and believe a successful summer transfer window could make the difference in the title race. The Gunners were extremely busy in the market, bringing in eight new players to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad.

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since their famous Invincibles side of 2003/04 went the whole campaign unbeaten under Arsene Wenger. They have finished second in three successive seasons under Arteta, but there is optimism that this time could be different.

The club signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie at a cost of around £260million in the summer, with Hincapie on loan and his £45m permanent fee delayed until next summer.

New sporting director Andrea Berta was a busy man in his first transfer window with the club, moving on a further 12 senior first-team players. The importance of the new additions has been evident already this season, with injuries hitting Arteta’s squad.

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Key players Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and William Saliba have all been absent for parts of the season so far. But Arteta has been able to call upon Gyokeres, Madueke, Eze and Mosquera as replacements without performances dropping.

Arsenal have opened their campaign with three wins and one defeat in the Premier League and also began the Champions League group stage with a 2-0 win over Athletic Club. The trip to the Basque country saw Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard make the difference off the bench, inspiring some delighted comments from supporters on Reddit.

“Genuinely the most stacked Arsenal squad. This is what we've needed in the last 3 years,” one fan wrote. Another added: “I’ve been a fan since the late 90s and this is easily the deepest squad we’ve ever had.”

“Been super impressed with how we’ve coped but if we want to win anything big we’ll need Havertz, Saka, Saliba and Odegaard fit for big chunks of the season,” another noted.

Another concluded: “The depth we have now is a complete game-changer. Having genuine game-winners like Martinelli and Trossard to bring on is a luxury we've never had before. It feels like we've finally closed that gap with the clubs who've had this advantage for years. This kind of squad power is exactly what wins you titles in the long run.”

Arteta was delighted with the impact of his substitutes on Tuesday night and emphasised the importance of squad depth post-match. “That they are at least equally important, or more important. We have discussed that the finishers are going to be more important this season, sometimes more than the starters,” he said.

“We can change the game there, especially with the intensity that we play, especially when the team starts to drop off, and I'm very pleased to see that. Piero comes in and plays six minutes, the first six minutes he's played, and Christian is the same. That’s the attitude I want from all of us.”

Arsenal's depth will be tested once again when they take on Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend. Saliba is expected to return, having made the bench on Tuesday, but Saka and Havertz will still be sidelined. Odegaard should be in contention to return from his shoulder injury.

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