Arsenal performance vs Chelsea proves Stan Kroenke must sanction one specific January transfer

Arsenal have gone four Premier League games without a win. With the Gunners now not in action until November 23 when they face Nottingham Forest, it will be seven weeks since Mikel Arteta last tasted victory in the league - the 3-1 win over Southampton on October 5.

That poor league form has left Arsenal in fourth place, four points behind second place Manchester City and nine points behind league leaders Liverpool. It's certainly been a disappointing period for the north Londoners, with Arteta even going as far as calling it a "nightmare".

"What I’m praying is that after the international break we have the team fully physically equipped. That they are available and that they are fit, because, it’s been a nightmare for eight weeks," Arteta said after the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday.

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"Doubt after doubt, issue after issue, not only with the ones that are not able to play, but with the ones who are able to play only for certain moments and not able to play. So I’m just asking that, because the desire the team has and how much we want it there’s no question. It’s going to come. We just need that on our side to be more consistent."

One of the major reasons for Arsenal's poor form was the injury Martin Odegaard picked up while playing for Norway in September. The Gunners captain missed 12 games in total and only made his return as a late sub against Inter Milan in the Champions League last Wednesday. The 25-year-old started against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, though, and set up Gabriel Martinelli's opener in the second half.

"I don't know another player that is capable of [playing 90 minutes to that standard] after six weeks out," Arteta said of Odegaard. "He had a day-and-a-half to be able to do that. Just how physically and mentally connected he was with the team it was unbelievable."

Arsenal have not only lacked Odegaard's creativity during his absence, but also his experience and leadership. He really is the Gunners' talisman and any further injury or period out of the team would be hugely detrimental to Arsenal's hopes of winning a first league title since 2004.

This perhaps shows, then, that Arsenal need to sign another creative midfielder. Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Jorginho are slightly more defensive midfielders, while Mikel Merino has an eye for goal but he is not as creative as Odegaard. Fabio Vieira, meanwhile, is on loan at Porto.

You can't help but think someone like Emile Smith Rowe, who was sold to Fulham in the summer, would have been perfect in this situation. The Hale Ender has settled in quickly at his new club and looks well worth the £34million fee Marco Silva's side paid for him.

Of course, Arsenal are very unlikely to buy Smith Rowe back from Fulham or end Viera's loan at Porto in January, but signing an attacking midfielder may not be out of the equation. With both Partey and Jorginho out of contract next summer anyway, midfield reinforcements will need to be made at some stage.

Stan Kroenke has backed Arteta in the transfer market in recent years and could continue to do so in several weeks time, when the January window opens. Who Arsenal bring in is an entirely different matter, though, but Arteta and the club's transfer chiefs would have no doubt spoken about potential targets. If Odegaard does indeed pick up another injury in the future, it's vitally important the Gunners have a ready-made replacement to come in. Their hopes of silverware may well just depend on it.