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Arsenal Football Newsletter
Arsenal will look to get things back on track when they host Leeds this weekend.
Mikel Arteta's side started the season with seven consecutive wins in all competitions, keeping five clean sheets in a row.
That perfect start was halted by Brighton just before the international break, when Arsenal lost by a three-goal margin for the first time in more than three years.
The Gunners face Leeds on Saturday, presenting the first chance to steady the ship.
It has been a frustrating international break for Mikel Arteta, particularly due to hamstring injuries picked up by Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis.
The upcoming run of fixtures will be a test of the attacking depth and determine how much added scrutiny the club's summer business gets put under.
These matches might also influence just how important the January window becomes.
Mikel Arteta
What Arsenal must do in the January window
It is no great secret.
Arsenal ended the summer window weaker in attack than they started it. That was despite wanting to prioritise a transformational forward signing at the end of last season.
Moves for Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Jr were unsuccessful and that area of the pitch is where Arsenal's depth is lacking.
They are short of a left winger, something that has been now further highlighted by Christos Tzolis picking up a hamstring injury.
Tzolis is expected to be back by the start of November at the latest but it is clear Arsenal have left themselves vulnerable.
There are no real issues elsewhere in the squad. William Saliba is expected to have returned by the end of the year to further bolster an already stacked set of defensive options.
Julian Alvarez
Arteta is also well-stocked in midfield, where there should be no repeat of last season when Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice were run into the ground. Arsenal have the strength in depth to rotate and maintain freshness.
If the club are to enter the January window, it is the attack that needs an injection of something different.
There is a lack of pace among the club's forward options and a quick wide player, with the individual quality to step up and make the difference in tight matches, should be high on the agenda.
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A strong argument can be made that the club could do with signing a striker, too. Havertz has regularly been hampered by injuries and Viktor Gyokeres has not looked a natural fit for this Arsenal side.
It is extremely unlikely that the Gunners would make two marquee attacking signings in January, so a wide forward with the versatility to also play centrally would make sense.
Eli Junior Kroupi
The club admire Eli Junior Kroupi, who would fit that mould, though it remains to be seen how the Bournemouth star will return from the serious foot injury he suffered in July.
Arsenal's defensive foundations leave them in a strong position to defend their league title over the course of a 38-game season.
In Europe, though, those moments of magic could be lacking. When it comes to the latter stages of the Champions League, Arsenal do not have the same sprinkling of stardust in attack that many of the other favourites to win the competition possess.
The January window is a difficult window to strengthen in, particularly at the level of player that Arsenal would be targeting.
However, with the attack, and especially the left wing, being the one vulnerability that Arsenal have, it is a window that could be even more crucial this season.