'Arsenal are a Kai Havertz injury away from a squad disaster.' These were my words at the closure of the January transfer window in which the club failed to do any incoming business whatsoever.

They were my words speaking to colleagues in the press room ahead of Mikel Arteta’s first post-January press conference. It was undeniably a colossal failure when it came to answering the calls of the club's manager saying time and time again in press conferences or in TV interviews that the side was 'short' or in need of a forward player.

Gabriel Jesus' injury happened early enough in the month that there was time to respond, time to act. While it was not like the club sat on their hands and enquiries were made, there was plenty of activity, the end result is the same as if that is indeed what was going on – which despite some wild claims, it was not.

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The Ollie Watkins situation came and went, and there was still a week to make moves and find solutions. Players like Alvaro Morata, Andre Silva and Evan Ferguson left clubs to join teams on loan.

The latter was, of course, blocked from joining Arsenal due to the loan rules over having a maximum of two players from other Premier League sides: Raheem Sterling and Neto. However, was there a workaround explored to perhaps make Neto’s deal permanent, freeing up room to move for a forward from within the English top flight?

Arsenal offered Champions League football, good wages, a competitive position in a team where chances would come. Their backup striker is injured, and their star player is also likely out for at least another two months and still plenty of games and opportunities to play.

Randal Kolo Muani joined Juventus on loan and has sat down Dusan Vlahovic almost immediately and begun scoring goals. Some might argue that had Havertz not got injured, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Perhaps, but he reportedly is injured just eight days after the window closed; we are having this chat.

The injuries are monumentally unfortunate, that goes without saying. If any other side competing for the title was without their equivalents of Havertz, Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Jesus, then they would also be putting square pegs in round holes.

Imagine Liverpool without Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. A front three of Cody Gakpo, Harvey Elliot and Federico Chiesa is hardly a guarantee of three points in any game in this toughest of leagues.

Imagine Manchester City without Erling Haaland, Omar Marmoush, Jeremy Doku and Savinho. A front three of maybe Phil Foden in a false nine, flanked by a regressing Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva.

It's not bad, but based on City's form with the aforementioned quartet available this season, what the loss of the four attackers might do to the team is something they surely would not want to think about. The losses for the Gunners paint a bleak picture concerning those assumed to be available.

Leandro Trossard in a No.9 role he's not had much success with of late, a 17-year-old and exciting Ethan Nwaneri on the right but who should not be seen as the leading figure in a title race and loanee Raheem Sterling on the left… Arsenal need more; they needed more, but they didn't find it.

Jason Ayto, the interim sporting director, has done good work at Arsenal and is still doing good work for the summer, with a deal looking strong for Martin Zubimendi. However, he will be judged in the first window that he led on, and on his first go, fans will indeed associate it with failure to deliver what was needed.