Arsenal: Have Mikel Arteta’s Gunners done enough in January transfer window to win Premier League?

Five points clear at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand to boot, and a young, exciting squad headed by an increasingly impressive manager. All has to be rosy at Arsenal, right?

It’s fair to say, however, that the January window hasn’t quite gone as ideally as the league leaders, bidding to win a first domestic title since 2004, would have liked.

Of their top two transfer targets, Mykhailo Mudryk chose Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea over the Gunners, while bids for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo have been repeatedly rebuffed.

That has led to the arrivals of Leandro Trossard and Jorginho appearing to be second-choice signings to some, but should that necessarily be the case for two experienced top-flight operators?

Since the Premier League began in 1992, Arsenal are the ninth team to hold a lead of between five to eight points – to factor in their game in hand – after 19 games, the mid-point, of the season.

Of the previous eight, only two – Norwich, in the very first Premier League campaign in 1992-93, and Liverpool, in 2018-19 – have not gone on to win the title.

The Reds’ failed bid four years ago will be of most pertinence to the Gunners, given it was Manchester City, Arsenal’s closest title rivals, who overhauled them.

So has January been a missed opportunity – or did Arsenal already have enough in their ranks to ensure they will get over the line despite their minimal winter business?