Over the past five years, Arsenal have struggled to keep up with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham.
They've fallen out of the "traditional" top four and judging by their current form, they may drop out of the "traditional" top six, if Mikel Arteta doesn't do something about their rut.
As things stand, Arsenal sit in 15th place on the league table having amassed just 14 points in 14 games - a tally that puts them just four points above the dreaded relegation zone.
For the first time ever, the Gunners appear to be at genuine risk of getting relegated - and that risk may just be a side effect of Mesut Ozil's absence.
No Ozil No Party
At the start of the season, Arteta left Ozil out of his 25-man squad for the Premier League season - essentially freezing him out of the club.
This has not boded well for Arsenal.
The Gunners have scored just 12 goals in 14 Premier League games this season - one of the lowest goal tallies across the entire league.
For years Ozil proved to be a creative mastermind for the Gunners, so it's no surprise that in his absence, Arsenal have struggled to create chances and score goals.
Ozil's absence hasn't just hurt Arsenal's creative output, though, it has also hurt their dressing room.
Reports suggest that quite a number of players are unhappy with Arteta's decision to leave Ozil out of the squad, creating an aura of unrest behind the scenes.
Going into the second half of the season, Arteta needs to reintroduce Ozil to the fray in order to inject some much-needed creativity into the squad, and begin Arsenal's ascent towards the top half of the table.
However, while bringing Ozil back into the squad may help Arsenal perform better, it will not be enough to breathe life into their top-six hopes - in order to get the team firing on all cylinders, Arteta needs to dive into the winter transfer window and he needs to take a page out of his summer transfer playbook while doing it.
Arsenal's Incredible Summer Transfer Business
During the summer transfer window, Arsenal signed Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid for a fee believed to be in the region of £45m.
Due to the steep fee, many Arsenal fans and pundits alike questioned the transfer, especially considering how badly the club's most recent big money signings have performed.
Partey, however, did not disappoint.
The Ghana international slotted seamlessly into Arsenal's midfield and visibly improved it. He consistently thwarted incoming attacks and provided Arsenal's backline with some added defensive cover.
Unfortunately his reign in Arsenal's midfield was short-lived due to a thigh injury he picked up earlier this month.
Alongside Partey, the Gunners also signed Gabriel Magalhaes, who has so far, proven to be a key figure in Arsenal's defence.
In fact Gabriel has been so integral to the team this season, that without him in the backline, there's a solid chance that Arsenal may have already descended into the relegation zone.
Going into the January transfer window, Arteta needs to sign a player that can replicate Partey and Gabriel's instant impact.
In their current state Arsenal cannot afford to wait around for any January signings to "gel".
Who Should Arsenal Sign In January?
Wilfried Zaha possesses blistering pace, limitless creativity and lots of Premier League experience - all of which combine to make him the perfect forward for Arsenal to sign this winter.
Having already scored seven goals and made three assists for Crystal Palace this season, he'd be able to score some much-needed goals for the Gunners - and beyond the goals, he'd be able to create goalscoring opportunities for Aubameyang, allowing the Gabon international to rediscover his lost form.
What Next For Arsenal
Arsenal have a very steep hill to climb en route to the top half of the table, but if Arteta signs Zaha, while also reintroducing Ozil to the club, then Arsenal may be able to fight their way into a respectable position come the end of the season.
Review
Top Goalscorer - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang & Alexandre Lacazette (3)
Most Assists - Willian (3)
Most Tackles - Dani Ceballos (21)
Best Performance - Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
Worst Performance - Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa
