LONDON • Riding high until two weeks ago, Arsenal's season has taken a sudden downturn that has thrown the focus firmly on the club's plans for the January transfer window.
Before the visit to Southampton on Dec 16, the Gunners had gone 22 games without losing and it seemed like the trajectory of Unai Emery's side was undeniably on the up.
The defeat at St Mary's has, however, triggered a downturn with just one win in five games, including Saturday's humiliating 5-1 defeat at Premier League leaders Liverpool. Arsenal now sit five points off the top four and anything less than three points in the home league meeting with Fulham today will further undermine the club's hopes of reclaiming a place in the Champions League.
Pundits have already written off their chances, with former Gunner Martin Keown claiming there was "a hell of a lot of work to do".
He told BT Sport: "Arsenal are in the beginning of their (project)."
Injuries have not helped with defenders Nacho Monreal, Hector Bellerin and Shkodran Mustafi all doubts for the Emirates clash, while auxiliary wing-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles and out-of-favour midfielder Mesut Ozil are also uncertainties.
However, goalkeeper Bernd Leno declined to use their growing casualty list - which includes long-term absentees Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck - as an excuse following the mauling at Anfield, urging his teammates to show their mettle against the Cottagers. The opposition are on a three-game unbeaten run.
"I don't think that was the difference," the German said. "We as a team made too many mistakes. We have enough quality, even when somebody is injured.
"Injuries were not the problem. We have to look forward because we have another important game on Tuesday.
"It's the first game of the year and on Tuesday, we want to beat Fulham at home. We need to win."
Defender Stephan Lichtsteiner also vowed that the team would "never give up" on their bid to finish among the Champions League places, saying: "We'll aim for that. Until the end we'll work, we'll believe... It's a challenge and one we need to accept."
But burly Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who ended a six-game drought to sink Huddersfield at the weekend, will surely relish the challenge of pitting his wits against a makeshift and vulnerable Gunners backline that has already let in 30 league goals - five more than at the same point last term.
The Serb, who has scored eight league goals this season, has been their star player and he felt his winner "gives us confidence before facing Arsenal".
The coming weeks, starting with Fulham, will go a long way towards shaping the remainder of Arsenal's season.
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Pundits have already written off their chances, with former Gunner Martin Keown claiming there was "a hell of a lot of work to do". He told BT Sport: "Arsenal are in the beginning of their (project)."
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A lot of work to do. Defensively, I like that we won the ball higher up the pitch at times. But we still look like we can't keep up with the opposition when we have to defend in our half. And the passing out the back was not very good. Cech is not cut out for this level anymore. And Bellerin continues to look below average.
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"I am pleased with the one side of the game, but there is certainly a hell of a lot of work to do on the other." The 38-year-old former Liverpool great singled out new centre-backs Connor Goldson and Nikola Katic, as well as returning goalkeeper Allan McGregor, for praise after the match at the Philip II Arena in the Macedonian capital.
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Arsenal must learn to adopt the right mentality away from home or they will once again miss out of Champions League football. That's the concern of former Gunners striker Kevin Campbell, who won the title with the club back in 1991 and made more than 200 appearances for them.
"He's had a lot of injuries, but I think he'd be a great addition for most Premier League teams. Maybe not in the top three or four, maybe not for Liverpool or Manchester City, but he could go to a team like Arsenal. "I would love my old club Palace to get him, and Leicester could be a good shout - he and Brendan Rodgers work well together.
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