As if the haters didn’t already have the ammo need to launch scathing attacks on Arsene Wenger, Danny Welbeck’s latest injury set-back has parachuted in all the rounds they need to fire at will towards the Frenchman.

England manager Roy Hodgson has confirmed that the versatile forward will miss six months of action after having surgery on his left knee, leaving the Premier League club seriously short of options up front. Oh dear.

Although injuries happen, Arsenal’s lack of transfer activity over the summer –Petr Cech was their only signing – has raised serious questions about the policy being employed at the club, especially as they must have had knowledge of Welbeck’s situation over the closing week of the window.

So, how can the London club cope? What can Wenger do to ease the growing dissent? And just how will the expected title challenge be kept on track? Well, here are FIVE possible options…

Try Oxlade-Chamberlain up front

Hold on, this one may not be as unorthodox as you think. Just look at ‘The Ox’s’ skills… He’s pacey, powerful, a very good finisher and at 5ft. 11”, he’s not in the ‘pint size’ mould.

He’s also shown that a central berth suits him in the past when used as a ‘No.10’ and the ability to influence the play from such a zone suggests he has the intelligence to adapt his game.

Pick up a free agent

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Even though the transfer window has closed, Arsenal can still bring in a name or two to boost numbers at the Emirates Stadium. Okay, the pool of players has been severely reduced with only free agents available, and their qualities may be questionable – after all, these guys were released and not picked up over the summer. However, there are one or two Arsenal could move for:

Carlton Cole – Although his cumbersome movement has been mocked, he boasts Premier League experience and could be a reserve option for the rest of the season at the age of 31.

Yoann Gourcuff – A ‘No.10’ playmaker or a deep-lying passer, the Frenchman could allow Sanchez or Walcott to be used more frequently in attack.

Ilsinho – The 29-year-old Brazilian right-back/right midfielder left Shakhtar Donetsk over the summer upon the end of his contract. He has experience and could be used on the flanks as a back-up option.

Give Joel Campbell a chance

Yep, he’s still at the club. Despite successive summers of almost leaving North London on a permanent transfer, the Costa Rica international remains on the peripheries of Wenger’s squad, and it’s quite baffling that he hasn’t been given a true run of first-team opportunities.

Yes, the 23-year-old may not be of sufficient quality to make a major impact, but he showed during his home nation’s impressive 2014 World Cup run that he has the ability to work well from wide or as part of a forward unit, while his pace and technique suggest he could be a good fit in a Wenger system.

Rely on squad depth

Luckily for Arsenal, Welbeck’s injury leaves the club with options. Had Olivier Giroud picked up a knock then Wenger would suddenly be looking at half a season without an orthodox centre-forward in his ranks, while a similar state of affairs at centre-back would have seriously depleted his options.

Alas, Welbeck has spent much of his Gunners career in a wide position, and luckily for the London club there are options to step in.

Theo Walcott can be shifted wide, albeit he may need to be rotated so he’s available to play up front, while the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and even Aaron Ramsey can be used from either flank.

Learn from mistakes

This is one Gooners have been crying out for for some time. Arsenal fans simply want Wenger to spend more readily, with the club’s failure to sign an outfield player during the last window – making them the only side in any of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues to have done so – alarming.

Okay, the Gunners have snapped up Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in recent years, but the feeling of a title charge being so close following the impressive run at the end of the season irked many, and now Welbeck’s injury has given critics all the ammo they need.

Aston Villa today announced they have parted company with manager Tim Sherwood today, following their run of six consecutive defeats.

Sherwood saw his side let their lead slip against Swansea City yesterday, as they lost 2-1 at home and remain second bottom in the table.

Despite maintaining the club’s Premier League status when he took over from Paul Lambert back in February, and leading the club to the FA Cup final, he failed to convince for large parts of this season.

Fans don’t seem to be too bothered on Twitter, with many believing the Villa Park board have made the right choice in an effort to save their season. The former Spurs boss had seemingly been on the brink of an exit for a while.

Recently sacked Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has been linked with the job, as well as Real Sociedad chief David Moyes should he wish to return to England following his doomed spell at Manchester United.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has refused to use injuries to his key strikers as an excuse for the team’s inconsistent form in recent weeks, according to the Guardian.

Both perennial crock Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke are currently on the treatment table, with doubts over their fitness ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Southampton on Sunday.

Danny Ings has also suffered a serious injury that will keep him out until the summer, which means that Divock Origi has been leading the line for the Merseyside outfit.

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Klopp, who took over from Brendan Rodgers and has drawn his first two games at the club against Tottenham and Rubin Kazan, stated that the injuries were unfortunate but not a reason to make excuses.

“We have the players we need and you will never hear from me: ‘With Sturridge we can do this’ or: ‘With Benteke we can do that’,” The Guardian quote the German as saying.

“I am really satisfied with the guys we have on the pitch already. I am not saying we don’t need strikers.

“Sometimes you need a finisher, a guy for the last ball – that is always the same in football – but if for any reason they are not available or not fully fit, then you must make the probability bigger that you can win with the players that you have.”

Klopp has been handed a sizeable task in trying to restore the Reds to their former glories but has arrived at Anfield with a significant reputation from his time at Borussia Dortmund.

Most Liverpool fans will be anxious to see if the former Bundesliga trainer will bring any new players to the club in the January transfer window, with his presence a drawcard for the club.

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One of the most astonishing subplots to an enthralling Premier League season so far has been the fairytale rise of current table-toppers, Leicester City.

The Foxes were not given much hope ahead of the campaign, with the appointment of journeyman manager Claudio Ranieri not inspiring the masses to believe that the King Power Stadium outfit would have a successful campaign.

Fast forward a couple of months and Leicester have exceeded even their supporters’ wildest dreams by topping the Premier League table after 15 games.

The Italian manager has instilled a real team ethic at the club, while Riyad Mahrez has been a star for the club on the flanks.

However, it is hard to look past the breath-taking form of Jamie Vardy in Leicester’s ascent, with the sprightly forward becoming one of the land’s most-feared centre forwards. It has been the 28-year-old’s goals, 14 in total, that have fired Ranieri’s men up the table and propelled the striker into the limelight. Vardy’s story of maturing in non-league football to leading the Premier League’s scoring charts and becoming an England international is a heartwarming one.

The pacey forward even managed to surpass Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record for goals in consecutive Premier League games, aptly completing the feat against the Dutchman’s former team Manchester United.

Vardy’s incredible form has led to widespread speculation over his future, with Leicester keen to tie him down to a new contract but the likes of United thought to be interested in the attacker.

As such, the centre forward has a real decision to make over just where he will play his football in upcoming campaigns and whether he is ready to leave his current employers.

Should United come in for the Englishman, rejecting a switch to Old Trafford would be a difficult proposition.

The Red Devils are undergoing a rebuilding process under Louis van Gaal and despite not being at their former levels of glory, remain one of the most historic clubs in the world game.

United are lacking in flair in the final third this year, with an over-reliance on Anthony Martial to get goals for a misfiring side.

Despite Vardy’s introduction potentially serving as a shot in the arm for the Manchester club, there are reasons why the England international would be best served where he is.

The 28-year-old’s style of play is similar to that of Martial and as such it is likely that he would be in direct competition for the number nine role with the former Monaco man should be move to United.

Van Gaal’s charges look destined to reinforce their squad in repeated upcoming transfer windows and as such Vardy would certainly not be guaranteed a starting berth at the club should he move there.

At Leicester, who are ahead of the Red Devils on the table currently, the Englishman is a cult figure, the main attacking weapon and a player that can achieve his club and national ambitions despite not being at one of England’s ‘biggest’ clubs.

As such, should Van Gaal, United and tens of millions of pounds coming knocking this January, Vardy would be advised to make brace decision and stay just where he is.

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The push to break free from the relegation zone continues for Newcastle United as they have completed their fourth key signing this January transfer window.

After signing Jonjo Shelvy, Andros Townsend and Henri Saivet, Newcastle have added a goal scorer to help the new faces on their offense. Roma forward Seydou Doumbia has arrived at St. James’ Park on loan for the remainder of the season.

Who Is Seydou Doumbia?

The Ivorian international first made a splash in European football with Swiss Super League side BSC Young Boys where he scored 20 goals in the 2008-2009 season and 30 the following year, claiming the title the league’s top goal scorer both years.

Doumbia experienced another run of success with Russian side CSKA Moscow where he found the back of the net 66 times in 108 appearances over five season in the Russian Premier League.

In 2014, he made the move to Roma where he was only able to score twice in 13 fixtures with the club. Roma loaned him back to CSKA Moscow this fall and will now make the move to St. James Park.

What’s He Like?

Seydou Doumbia is a goal scorer and a quick counter attacking threat. He scores many goals from inside the box can also provide key passes in the attack end.

The Ivorian has great ball handling skills and is not short on confidence as he’s not afraid to go at defenders when he has the ball. If he can find a form similar to what he had a few years back in the 2013-2014 season, when he scored 20 in 24, he could be a dominant force in the Premier league from here on out.

Would He Fit at Newcastle?

Newcastle have undergone an overhaul of new offensive players this transfer window in an effort to get out of the bottom three. The new midfielders acquired this transfer window needed a goal scorer to top off a successful January for Newcastle. Only time will tell if the recent January signings will pay off for the club, but at the moment, the addition of a striker puts them in a good position to successfully stay in the Premier League.

Worth A Punt?

While the striker is 28-years-old he is not too much of a risk for Newcastle. If he is unsuccessful throughout the rest of this season, they can easily cut ties with Doumbia in the summer.

If the Ivorian proves to play a vital role in the push to stay in the Premier League, Newcastle could easily buy him, as Roma are clearly not satisfied with the forward.

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Aaaaaand breathe. What a game that was. North London derbies are often worth watching, but today’s effort was really special.

Initially it bubbled slowly towards and Aaron Ramsey opener, but as the second half got going the afternoon ignited with a Francis Coquelin red card. The Frenchman’s brainless-ness looked to have been punished ruthlessly as Toby Alderweireld and Harry Kane made it 2-1 within seven minutes, but Alexis Sanchez then popped up with the equaliser.

Unfortunately for both sides the winning goal never came, and BT Sport even added to the drama as a power outage left fans watching at home with a blank screen for a few viral minutes. Luckily nothing key was missed.

But, what did we learn? Well here are FIVE ‘lessons’ from White Hart Lane…

Neither side will be happy

The only side with a big smile on their face as Michael Oliver’s whistle rang around White Hart Lane was Leicester. In truth, a draw has done neither Spurs nor Arsenal any favours, with the Foxes now two points clear of the Lilywhites with a game in hand and the Gunners three points further behind their local rivals in third.

The game may have been a pulsating, enthralling and dramatic affair, yet both managers, and their players, will look at it as an opportunity missed.

Francis Coquelin is not the answer

For as long as anyone that regularly watches football cares to remember, defensive midfield has been a problem for Arsenal. Since the days of Patrick Vieira the Gunners have been short of a disciplined leader in the centre of the pitch, which is perhaps why it’s been 12 years since the last time the Premier League trophy was carried back to north London.

Coquelin looked to be the man to fill the long vacated void upon his ‘arrival’ last winter – he was re-called from a loan spell at Charlton – with his hard-working nature a breath of fresh air. However, today he showed the biggest flaw in his game: a lack of intelligence. Having already been booked the Frenchman threw himself at Harry Kane, receiving a red card for his trouble.

The game swung in the space of seven minutes at Spurs went from 1-0 down to 2-1 up, and if it weren’t for Alexis Sanchez’s unlikely equaliser, Coquelin would not be able to show his face at the Emirates for quite some time!

Hugo Lloris is overrated

Lloris is often talked about as one of the best goalies in the Premier League. But, is he really worthy of that mantle? Erm… perhaps not. Granted, the Frenchman is a good shot-stopper and uses his pace and reading of the game to perform a ‘sweeper keeper’ role well, but he often gets beaten by efforts he should really save, and Sanchez’s equaliser was one of them.

Okay, the Chilean hit it well, but Lloris got a hand to the ball and must be disappointed to have seen it squirm past. Could that prove to be a vital moment in Spurs’ season and the title race?

Arsenal do have some bottle

With two losses on the spin heading into the North London Derby, many were questioning Arsenal’s ‘bottle’. After all, they were title favourites for a little while. However, a team without heart and spirit would have buckled after falling behind with 10-men, but Sanchez’s stunning equaliser was not the action of a team without character.

Harry Kane is actually world class

That finish. Wow. Kane’s rise has long felt like a joke that’s got out of hand, but, if it wasn’t before, it’s time to admit that he’s a world class talent. Even though he has no real standout characteristic such as pace or touch, the whole package he brings makes him a formidable forward, and he showed today what he’s capable of.

Aside from the brilliant goal he curled past David Ospina, Kane ran the Gunners’ defence ragged for 90 minutes, with his movement and tenacity all on who, while his link-up play wasn’t bad either.

Jose Mourinho has been linked with the Manchester United job, had you heard?!

After leading Chelsea to their worst start to the top flight season in longer than most of their fans have been alive, the Portuguese boss has managed to retain his reputation and is one of the most talked about names in football.

A man with an ego the size of a small city tends to be in the limelight and, as much he loves it himself, Louis van Gaal is rather irked by his former protege being linked with his job at one of Europe’s biggest clubs. The two of them have become embroiled in some sort of big brother-little brother rivalry and it looks as though the next twist will be the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ nicking his complacent older brother’s job from under his nose.

Mourinho’s Chelsea finished 17 points clear of Van Gaal’s Manchester United last season, as the Blues won the title at a canter and only registered three defeats. However, when Mourinho was sacked on December 17th, the Blues boss has driven his side down to 16th in the Premier League table and only won four of their 16 league games – leaving them 14 points behind Van Gaal’s Manchester United.

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Obviously you must look further back than just this season, but you can see why Van Gaal would be annoyed with a manager who had failed so dramatically being linked with his job. Mourinho is one of the best in the business, he is a brutal man manager and a tactician who makes his moves before the other manager has even had time to tell his substitutes to warm up.

Look at the impact Mourinho had at Chelsea when he arrived in 2013/14. Rafa Benitez had done well to guide Chelsea to third in 2012/13, but the fell 14 points short of the title and only just squeaked into the top four. The next season, with minimal tweaks to the squad, Mourinho should have really won the league. The Blues had been favourites for the title until they choked at home to Sunderland and dropped points that left the door open for Liverpool and Manchester City.

Chelsea, with Torres and Ba leading the line, finished four points off the Premier League summit and Mourinho was ready to seize control in the next campaign. Manchester United’s squad is not poor, it has weaknesses, yes, but it is not too weak to be in the top four. Mourinho would immediately tighten up the side and play to the strengths of the squad, rather than an out-dated philosophy Van Gaal obsesses over.

It would take sizeable investment – as that is the price you pay with Mourinho – but he would immediately instil a winning mentality, a granite-hard core through the side and a never-say-die attitude that isn’t usually found outside of Tony Pulis’ hard-nosed half-time team talks.

Look at Memphis Depay. Last season the Dutchman was one of the hottest properties in Europe and was firing shots from all angles into the top corner of the net, but his attitude is now being questioned. Mourinho, in his own harsh manner, would either discard him or chisel him into a Ronaldo lookalike goal scoring athlete. The Special One performed a similar trick on Joe Cole over a decade ago and Depay has all the ability to make him into one of Europe’s best and Mourinho would single him out as one of the stars of the new Manchester United.

Defensively, Mourinho would sure things up with placing faith in Morgan Schneiderlin. Where Van Gaal has rotated his midfield with odd regularity, Mourinho would find his ideal pairing and stick with it. Schneiderlin is the sort of physical unit that Mourinho adores, a brick wall in front of his two centre-halves and he would form the basis to allow Martial, Rooney and Memphis to wreak havoc in the final third.

Naturally, Mourinho would change a lot at Old Trafford. Younger players wouldn’t stand much of a chance of developing, Carrick would likely be moved on and the club would risk the regular media assault that comes with Mourinho. Underlying this all, Mourinho, until this season particularly, can make his players push themselves the extra yard. If they believe in him, he will make them winners and, although it is just a short-term fix, it will give the United fans something to believe they have a club that can compete at the top once more.

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It seems that securing Champions League football year-after-year just won’t cut it with Arsenal fans anymore.

Since that ‘invincibles’ season over a decade ago, Arsene Wenger has failed to bring home another Premier League crown, and it is clear to see that it is frustrating the Arsenal faithful no end.

The Gunners saw off West Bromwich Albion to go third in the table on Thursday, but it was clear to see from the TV cameras that empty seats flanked the pitch.

The normal influx of people before the game begun didn’t happen, and the stadium felt subdued – like an atmosphere-less cauldron of disappointment and apathy. Thankfully, an Alexis Sanchez brace saw Arsenal move above Manchester City to go third to somewhat raise spirits, but why did so many supporters stay away?

To be honest, it seems as simple as that the fans are just a little bored. They’re not in the title race as the season comes to an end and this was the season where Arsenal could have done it.

Whilst Leicester and Tottenham Hotspur have been excellent, the Gunners had the opportunity to launch an extremely strong campaign thanks to the shortcomings of Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. But they’ve choked on so many important occasions this year, and it seems that some supporters are just a little fed up.

Spurs have taken the bragging rights for the first time in years and we’ve seen a few ‘Wenger out’ banners in the stands numerous times. Some supporters used to mock the few that didn’t support the Arsenal stalwart, but now it seems the tide is turning and more are growing frustrated with the Frenchman.

Take the game against West Ham United. 2-0 up and seemingly strolling to victory, the Gunners let England’s sixth choice striker to score his first hat-trick in years. It’s just not acceptable for a self-proclaimed title contending side.

Whilst the club claimed 59,568 people turned up on Thursday night, it’s hard to argue that’s fact. Whilst it is impossible to know quite how many stayed away, some have mooted there were around 15,000 empty seats. The worst thing is that Arsenal were expecting a strong turn-out on the night. They didn’t take into account the amount of people actually not in attendance, rather going by the amount of season tickets that are active.

A big worry for Arsenal is that this wasn’t an official protest – it seemingly just happened. People are fed up and just stayed away, and Wenger’s response? ‘Come and support the team, you see the quality’. What defines quality though?

They’re a side full of quality players, granted, but they’re not pulling it together on the day. They’ve bottled it again and Arsenal fans have been left with another gutless, slightly lukewarm title challenge attempt.

Just how long will people put up with it?

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Much like Alex Ferguson’s last-gasp attempt for a title – signing Robin van Persie – Arsene Wenger making such an outlandish effort to nab Jamie Vardy shows that the Arsenal manager is in a state of panic about his future at the club. Where he may previously have invested shrewdly, negotiated prices sternly and worked a slow deal, Wenger is snapping at the release clause of a player that makes little sense in his set-up. In fact, it is wholeheartedly illogical as far as many would be concerned.

Panicking has never really been an emotion in the repertoire of Wenger. A calm man – with the occasional angered outburst – Wenger has always approached his transfer dealings in a similarly sensible, albeit cautious, fashion. This deal to try and sign Vardy has shattered all protocol beyond recognition and, for both parties, looks to make only a minute amount of genuine sense. Wenger, as the media will kindly remind you, needs to win another Premier League title to really justify his legacy both in the chapters of Premier League history and the pinnacle of European football. Longevity is no longer enough to make a manager an all-time great, success is a must and Wenger risks becoming a quirky anecdote, rather than a stalwart of European success.

Vardy might be the golden ticket to another Premier League trophy. Vardy’s irresistible pace and dead-eye shot fired Leicester City to league glory, but it is hard to imagine a team that would need more adapting than Arsenal to accommodate him. The Gunners’ slower build-up means they are often working against low block defences and Vardy, more than many talents we have ever seen before, thrives off of having acres of space behind the centre-backs to really torture them on the turn.

So much about this move makes no sense. Wenger is clearly getting desperate and he may be envisaging the signing of Vardy as his last hurrah, a swansong, an ageing star to launch him to a final title so he can drift off into the managerial sunset knowing that he could still win the biggest of trophies. Olivier Giroud’s flaws seem to be over-promoted by many, unfortunately, yet Vardy’s limitations cannot be being evaluated fairly by the Arsenal backroom. A player of Vardy’s distinct playing style makes sense if you wish to play transition football, but Arsenal have not shown a desire to do that since the very day that Wenger arrived at Highbury.

Leicester and Arsenal play starkly different brands of football. Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes had little interest in possession unless it was immediately going as a direct pass to Vardy, whilst Arsenal’s occasionally aesthetically-pleasing ‘tippy-tappy’ around midfield approach sees them top the possession charts in the Premier League year after year. Players – as we all thought Wenger knew – cannot just play in any old system and it is almost impossible to imagine Vardy being fine with the minute amount of space afforded to the centre forward at Arsenal. This is not to mention the fact that no Gunner is quite set up to perform the same remarkable space-creating role of Shinji Okazaki or to inject gut-busting runs from midfield like N’Golo Kante.

This move reeks of a manager desperate for one final chance at success. A dream of a heroic signing through sheer opportunism. The move makes no sense for any party, but the lure of a ‘bigger’ club for a player who should be coming towards the end of his peak may just be too hard to resist. Craving success can be a good thing, but it looks as though this panic move from Wenger cannot possibly work out how he may dream it to. It makes even less sense when you remember some of the other strikers who could’ve been available this summer.

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Several clubs were always known as selling teams, and it still applies to some today

These clubs have an innate ability to develop their own youth to the highest standards and give them the chance that they would not get, as soon, anywhere else.

They buy players on realistic fees – real bargains, actually – and develop them for a season or two and then have to watch as they are sold for bigger money, or to their league rivals.

Southampton are one such club.

It is a shame in a way to see this happen to a well run, well established club. In the last two or three seasons you could argue that they have punched above their weight, as successive qualifications to the Europa League were obtained without too much fuss.

Indeed, last season, they came so very close to a Champions League place.

Every season the club appears to have to sell some of its most talented individuals and whilst the cash in is a positive, you would think that the club would suffer, but that’s not been the case.

The recruitment of new players in is as sound as you can find and not only do they fit straight into the team, they also seem to take the club to another level on every occasion.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal have all plundered the shores of St Mary’s in the last two years, spending a combined total of £132.5million on Southampton players as at last summers reckoning.

This summer, Mane has gone to Liverpool, Wanyama to Tottenham and Pelle to China, and if you consider the talent that The Saints have sold and you put them together as a team, it would be quite a useful side in the Premier League. Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, Nathaniel Clyne, Morgan Schneiderlin et al, would prove a tasty adversary to many teams.

Not only has Southampton been stripped by Premier League rivals for their players, but for their talented managers as well. After Pochettino left for Tottenham, Saints fans have had to watch Ronald Koeman decide that the blue half of Merseyside was irresistible.

Each sale is logical, but when viewed together, it has the feel of an exodus and Southampton have the feel of a lost club, desperately scrambling to find its way again. The selling may continue, but Southampton are now struggling to spend the money they have in the bank.

Claude Puel is wisely holding back from splashing the cash just yet, as he looks over who he has and decides on what he needs.

Discontent has been rife amongst certain members of the squad in recent years and this led to a club appearing to have a necessity to sell on players, but did they really need to? Are there problems internally? Southampton would debate the point that they “need” to sell.

It looks as though they had to due to player pressure in some cases.

Optimism is high on the South Coast for the coming season, though. A new manager and great expectations of more of the same make it an engaging season for Saints fans, but even with the positivity around, the club need to hold onto the best players and build around them.

Equally, if there are things going on behind the scenes, it will unsettle players and more will either not join or leave and the selling club label will become more enhanced among the football fraternity.

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