Arsenal stumbled their way to a frustrating draw at Fulham on Sunday in a stalemate at Craven Cottage over a difficult 90 minutes.
The Gunners went behind early doors as the first attack for the home side saw Raul Jimenez blast an effort beyond David Raya.
Arsenal got back into it though as their trusty weapon of a set-piece saw William Saliba head home an equaliser.
There were efforts made to find a winner, with Bukayo Saka thinking he found it in added time with a back post finish – only to be ruled out by VAR.
Arsenal had to settle for a draw with Fulham, which has put them in a tough position in the Premier League title race.
One thing that became evident in the match was how Mikel Arteta is facing a challenge with one area of his squad.
Arsenal squad depth issue highlighted by substitute goal record
If there’s one thing Arsenal have struggled with, it’s the quality in their squad depth and how that could help them in the Premier League title race.
Many questioned Arteta for not trusting that squad depth when it comes to rotation and injuries in recent week.
However, it’s become clear that the squad haven’t exactly given him a reason to trust them with their recent impact.
Arsenal have four goals from substitutes this season, though not all of them have been as impactful as the others.
While Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli scored two goals that have swung ties, the other two from Ethan Nwaneri and Thomas Partey came in games the side have already been winning in.
Overall, it hasn’t been enough with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus failing to make an impact with goals when it matters.
While Trossard was the substitute master last season, his growing importance in the first-team has resulted in a lack of impact for him from the bench.
Given how many tight games Arsenal have been in this season as well as the sheer volume of fixtures, there is a clear issue with squad depth and quality that must be solved in the transfer market.
Arsenal transfer moves must solve squad depth issues
If Mikel Arteta isn’t able to get a tune out of his current players, then the reality is that he will have to enter the transfer market to solve it.
A centre-forward is one option on the cards, with several different names linked with a potential switch to the Emirates Stadium.
Meanwhile, another winger, especially on the right flank may be a target to help bolster the options available.
It remains to be seen what funds are available at Arsenal to make those moves in January, but it’s clear that the trust in squad depth and the quality simply isn’t there.
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