Arsene Wenger, as has become customary, left much of his transfer business until late in the window this summer.
While Granit Xhaka was captured from Borussia Monchengladbach before a ball had been kicked at Euro 2016, the acquisitions of Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez were not completed until late on in August, by which time Arsenal supporters were tearing their hair out at the seemingly very real prospect of their side falling behind the rest of the Premier League's elite outfits.
Even when some of the frustration subsided following the unveiling of Mustafi and Perez, Wenger’s failure to purchase an out-and-out centre-forward was adjudged by many to be another obvious oversight.
Perhaps, though, as one banner at the Emirates Stadium advocates, the club’s fans should have placed more trust in their manager.
More Champions League
• Arsene Wenger: Arsenal 'have a strong squad and a strong spirit'
• Andy Mitten: Less between Barcelona and Manchester City than score suggests, but still one big difference – Messi
Olivier Giroud, who most presumed would begin the campaign as Arsenal's primary line-leader, has not yet started a match. Against Ludogorets on Wednesday, as has been the case in all but one of their 11 encounters in the Premier League and Uefa Champions League this term, Alexis Sanchez was fielded as the furthest Arsenal man forward.
The redeployment of the Chilean has paid dividends. Sanchez was superb at the Emirates Stadium, opening the scoring with a stunning chip in the 12th minute and causing havoc throughout with his terrific technique, dynamic movement and never-say-die determination.
The tone-setting Sanchez has also aided Arsenal’s work without the ball, pressing from the front and forcing opposition centre-backs to either make mistakes or go long and cede possession easily. His mentality and mobility means he is the perfect player to perform such functions; Giroud may possess the former, but he certainly does not have the latter.
The success of Sanchez as a central striker is not just about his own individual contributions, though.
Theo Walcott has been a revelation in a new-look frontline, so much so that he now seems to be content with a starting spot on the right flank having spent much of his Arsenal career asking to be used through the middle.
The England international added another goal to his tally for the season – which now stands at eight in all competitions – on Wednesday, when he gave Ludogorets left-back Natanael Pimienta a torrid time with his direct and intelligent running.
Unlike the more static Giroud, Sanchez regularly drops deep and drifts wide in phases of established possession, which in turn encourages Walcott to dart into the vacated space and get himself into dangerous areas inside the penalty box.
Mesut Ozil is also relishing the presence of a striker who can sprint onto pinpoint through-balls in behind as well as participating in combination play.
The German was the star of the show in the 6-0 thrashing of the Bulgarian champions, scoring a hat-trick for the first time in his career, but it is the repositioning of Sanchez that has made the biggest difference on a collective level.
Arsenal have impressed at this stage of the season many times before, and the evidence of the past few years suggests that they may yet struggle to remain consistent for the entire campaign.
Things are certainly looking significantly brighter now than they were just two months ago, however, with Wenger’s revamped frontline – which features the irrepressible Sanchez at its tip – having played a massive part in the turnaround.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
