Is This Squad Enough For Arsenal To Compete For The Title?

There was a huge wave of disappointment amongst the Arsenal faithful after knowing that their club did not sign anyone in the latter stages of the transfer window. The much needed signing of Petr Cech was the only acquisition Arsenal made throughout the transfer window. Although there’s no denying that there’s plenty of competition for places in the Arsenal squad, doubts still linger over the fitness of some players and perhaps lack of consistency, in some cases.

Petr Cech’s addition to this squad was a massive signal of ambition and intent by the club. Through Cech, Arsenal finally addressed the Goalkeeping issues which they faced for all these years. So that was one ticked box out of a possible three. The other two being a defensive midfielder and a world class striker.

As far as defensive areas go, Arsenal pretty much have everything sorted especially considering the versatility of some defenders Arsene Wenger has at his disposal. There’s enough quality and quantity in there to mount a serious title charge.

Francis Coquelin took the opportunity given to him last season and showed that he has what it takes to be the main man through the middle. His performances were the reason Arsenal fared exceptionally well in the second half of last season. But what if he gets injured?. The first two names to come in our minds are Arteta and Flamini.

Whilst Mikel Arteta still has the touch and technique to do a good job as a stand in Defensive midfielder, his recent injury record doesn’t suggest he should be the only option in the mix. He’s not getting any younger after all. Mathieu Flamini hasn’t featured for Arsenal regularly and even though the Frenchman is an option, he’s a disaster waiting to happen.

He’s far from the player he was during his first spell with Arsenal. All these issues made it obvious for Arsene Wenger to dip into the market in search for a player who cannot only provide excellent back up, but also compete with Coquelin for his starting berth. Arsenal’s inability to add much needed quality and cover in this position may well come to haunt them later on in the season.

The other area which has been under constant attention has been the striking department. Arsenal were in the market for a world class striker. Someone who is a world beater and is proven at the highest level. Karim Benzema was the name constantly linked with Arsenal over the course of the window but nothing materialized after Real Madrid decided not to sell him and keep him in the Spanish capital.

Now, Danny Welbeck has been ruled out for “several months” after undergoing surgery which makes Theo Walcott the only back up/competition for Olivier Giroud. Olivier Giroud’s record doesn’t suggest he’s an injury prone player but if he were to get injured at any point this season, Theo Walcott will have to take over the goalscoring responsibilities.

Ultimately, Arsenal have to hope against hope that either this is the season where they shrug off their injury worries or the players who are available perform to their fullest. The January window, represents another solution to these problems but the availability of top players during that period is not something to rely upon.