Coach Mikel Arteta - a perfectionist, obsessed with every detail - is always proud of his ability to adapt and prepare for every challenge. However, even he could not help but be surprised by the current pressure, when Arsenal soon fell into a storm of injuries after only 3 rounds of the Premier League.
Arsenal spent more than £250 million in the summer transfer window to bring in expensive stars. This has helped Arteta own the largest and best squad since he took over in December 2019.
However, the injury storm that hit too early is shaking the "Gunners" main squad. Bukayo Saka has hamstring problems and could be out for several weeks. Kai Havertz has just undergone knee surgery, and is expected to return only in mid-October. William Saliba suffered an ankle injury in the 5th minute of the loss to Liverpool and was at risk of being out for a month.
The Gunners' list of injured players does not stop there. Ben White and Christian Norgaard both missed the trip to Anfield, while Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard were only fit enough to feature on the bench.
Odegaard and Trossard have returned in time to play for Norway and Belgium respectively. However, Arteta is still facing harsh reality when 5 key players are forced to stay out until at least mid-September.
This is certainly not the prospect Arteta was looking forward to as Arsenal entered the stormy September. They will host Nottingham Forest this weekend, then visit Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League and face Port Vale in the Carabao Cup. Next are the Premier League survival matches against Manchester City and Newcastle.
If he can overcome this series of challenges, Arteta will dispel the growing concerns in the hearts of fans that a season rich in expectations is gradually slipping out of the trajectory. But with just one more stumble, the pressure on Arteta and his students will increase many times.
In previous seasons, the current long injury list must have seriously weakened Arsenal. However, after an explosive summer in the transfer market with 8 new players, including the blockbuster contract Viktor Gyokeres, Arteta and his students have no more reasons to justify.
In the previous 3 seasons, Arteta often lamented his injury-name obsession, when Arsenal's bench always lacked quality cards that could turn the situation around. But now it's different. With a squad that is deeper than ever, rotation is not only an option but has become a must.
Arteta will certainly be severely tested if the current reserves fail to prove their worth in the challenging weeks ahead.
Cristhian Mosquera is likely to replace Saliba after his impressive performance at Anfield, while Piero Hincapie is ready to take on the role of covering the defense from the bench. Noni Madueke is also in good form, while Eberechi Eze will add creativity to the attack.
In theory, Havertz's absence is not a huge shortage. Gyokeres has scored twice in just three Premier League games and is still hungry to prove his £63.5m.
Not only possessing a quality squad of new players, Arsenal also have other strengths. In midfield, Mikel Merino has just made a strong impression when scoring 4 goals in 2 matches for the Spanish national team.
In general, Arteta still has many reasons to be optimistic. In addition to the depth of the squad, the "Gunners" continue to maintain solidity in defense and effectiveness in set pieces - the weapon that helped them break through last season.
Moreover, the narrow defeat to Liverpool only came from the moment of Dominik Szoboszlai's genius. This shows that Arsenal are closer than ever to competing fairly with their biggest opponents.
This September will be the toughest test for Arsenal's championship ambitions. Things came earlier than expected, and now Arteta has no choice but to take a risk.
