Arsenal have enjoyed a great start to the current season but there are worries that they do not possess the squad depth of either Chelsea or Manchester City.
Fanatix have picked out the five players that need to avoid injury to ensure title success – note this is not the best players list but the least easy to replace.
Olivier Giroud
In the current state of affairs at the Emirates Stadium it’s easy to see why keeping the Frenchman on the pitch is vital.
Giroud is the only out-and-out striker at the club in any sort of form and although Lukas Podolski can fill in if required, Nicklas Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo are not reliable enough and Theo Walcott is out for the rest of the campaign.
Laurent Koscielny
Considered to be one of the best defenders in the entire division and makes up one half of a partnership that has been the most solid this term.
Koscielny is good on the ball but possesses enough grit and physicality to not be bullied by opponents – although still does occasionally earn silly bookings.
Per Mertesacker
The Frenchman’s partner at the back and another who is vital for the team’s success, as captain Thomas Vermaelen has been shown up as an inadequate replacement.
When the Germany international was absent for the game at Old Trafford, Manchester United recorded an unlikely victory.
Bacary Sagna
This list is heavily defensively orientated and that is because the Gunners lack depth at the back and as impressive as Sagna has been, the alternatives are below par.
Youngster Carl Jenkinson may turn out to be a top-class player but at the moment is not a suitable deputy for the 30-year-old for any long period of time.
Wojciech Szczesny
The player on this list that has improved the most over the past 12 months and it’s credit to the goalkeeper that the Pole is deemed irreplaceable.
Szczesny has shown great form between the sticks this season and the backup of either Emiliano Viviano or Lukasz Fabianskis is far from inspiring.