Arsenal started the season in impressive form, winning their first five league games, but their unbeaten run ended abruptly at Manchester United.
Two goals by Marcus Rashford and one from Antony ensured Erik ten Hag’s side put a dent in Arsenal’s record.
Despite recording wins against Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Bournemouth, Fulham and Aston Villa, several fans and pundits were unconvinced about their ability to mount a title challenge.
Maybe only Arsenal fans believed their team could pull it off, but the fact is they recorded wins against teams in the bottom half of the table.
While their performances were impressive, their trip to Old Trafford proved it takes more than that to challenge for a place in the top four, let alone gun for the title.
Arsenal had a solid transfer window and made some smart acquisitions, but it may not be enough to push for the title.
The arrivals of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira have undoubtedly raised expectations for the Gunners.
However, injuries in midfield and the worrying lack of cover on the flanks highlight the gaps in the squad that still need to be addressed by technical director Edu.
Zinchenko, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny have already been in and out of the squad, and Vieira is just now getting back to full-match fitness.
Emile Smith Rowe is the only player available if Gabriel Martinelli or Martin Odegaard need to be replaced, but even he is yet to completely shrug off his injury problems.
Ben White has had to hold down the fort at right back with Takehiro Tomiyasu being eased back into the fold after recovering from injury.
The Englishman is adept at playing in that position, but he is better at centre-back.
Arsenal have navigated the summer transfer window to field a strong first eleven, but injuries have called their squad depth into question.
The campaign is still in its infancy, but Mikel Arteta should be looking ahead to the January transfer window to reinforce his squad with at least a new winger, a right-back and a midfielder.
Arsenal’s inability to get a result against United has led to questions on whether or not they are mentally ready to mount a top-four challenge.
United are not in full flow yet and still finding their way under Ten Hag, but they came up with a game plan good enough to pick the Gunners apart.
Arsenal have shown they have no problems swatting aside the smaller teams, but there is still work to do to secure a place in the Champions League next season, especially as they have shown their frailty against a ‘top six’ side.
The Gunners are doing just fine with their current squad so far. Despite the loss to United, they are still top of the Premier League table.
However, they are set for a long season, and the acquisitions they make in the January transfer window will be pivotal in determining where they finish.
