Squad depth
Last season when Arsenal took on Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, the north London side’s bench featured Vito Mannone, Thomas Vermaelen, Abou Diaby, Francis Coquelin, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andriy Arshavin and Gervinho.
Mannone, Coquelin, Arshavin and Gervinho have all moved on in a clearout of deadwood at Emirates Stadium, while Abou Diaby continues to struggle with injury after injury.
This term, the north London side have far better options in reserve, with Lukasz Fabianski, the aforementioned Vermaelen, Nacho Monreal, Carl Jenkinson, Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky, Lukas Podolski, Serge Gnabry, Nicklas Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo amongst players not typically in Arsene Wenger’s first choice XI.
Arsenal may have failed to buy a world class striker either last summer or in January, but the increased financial firepower at Emirates Stadium looks set to change that – in much the same way it did when the Gunners smashed their transfer record to sign Mesut Ozil.
That could well be the only missing cog in this squad.
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