Arsenal handed £84m transfer wake-up call as Premier League title hangs in the balance

Arsenal have been given clear evidence they cannot make the same mistake fourth year running after Manchester City's £84million spree could steal them the Premier League title

Manchester City have come storming up the table to overtake Arsenal as things stand on goals scored. While they’re level on points and goal difference, the Gunners’ defeats against Bournemouth and Pep Guardiola’s side have evened the playing field with five games remaining.

The title collapse as it is being labelled until the Gunners respond to halt their slide has come about as a result of several factors. A drop in form, which Mikel Arteta has regularly pointed to, is the absence of key players as a result.

Speaking after the defeat to Bournemouth, he was asked about whether the drop in form had been down to nerves and tension. However, his answer took the conversation in a different direction.

“We need everything,” he said. “We need, first of all, we need everybody fit and available.

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“So the ones that are not involved, the ones that are not with us, that are really big, important players, we need them immediately with us because then we're going to be much stronger.

“And then the other ones, they need to stand up. Me, the first one, and embrace this challenge and go for it.”

The clear indication that absences like Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie, Jurrien Timber and Martin Odegaard in recent weeks have been critical. On the other side of the race, Man City have been coming good at the perfect time, with few players missing, only the long-term absence of Josko Gvardiol, which the club reacted to in January.

In fact, the £84million double signing of Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo has transformed the club’s form at both ends of the field. Whereas, in the same window, Arsenal did nothing.

This is despite both losing Mikel Merino to injury and sending attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri out on loan.

The former suffered a foot injury which then required surgery, the Spaniard could yet return right at the end of the season and potentially make the World Cup, but football.london understands Arsenal were aware of Merino’s injury for around a week before the January transfer window slammed shut.

When Arteta was asked whether the injury had changed the club’s thinking in the winter window hours before the deadline, Arteta replied, “Of course. I mean, when you lose a big player like this in the squad with four months to go and all the competitions to play for, you need to look.

“And we need to do everything that we possibly can to see if we have a player that is available. And if we don't, we keep what we have.”

But ultimately, Arsenal did not make any signings while their rivals landed two major acquisitions. With the benefit of hindsight that lack of a signing is looking more damning.

Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice have needed to play huge amounts of minutes, while it appears Arteta does not trust enough in Christian Norgaard to play more than the approximate hour he’s featured in the league this season. This was the third straight January window where the club failed to add any significant senior additions.

The last coming in 2023 when Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho arrived. Three signings who all made an impact for the club.

Financial restrictions will be pointed to but, finding solutions during the tough moments of a transfer window is what the likes of Andrea Berta were appointed to do. Will it prove, in the end, to have been a key reason for a Premier League miss once again?