Arsenal's January Signings: Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey, the New Gunners

Arsenal are one of the five title challengers this season, and are off to a decent start. They lost to Chelsea and West Bromwich, but responded strongly and are second in the Premiership after their win against Manchester City at Eastlands. Arsenal have been hampered by injuries to numerous players in the past, but look like they have great depth.

Last season, they started off brightly scoring goals for fun, but the long-term injury to Robin van Persie crippled them to a great extent. They could not continue their goalscoring form, and their scoring rate came down. So far, they have averaged around three goals a season, and Robin van Persie has not even played 90 minutes.

Many Arsenal supporters, including myself, thought that Wenger should spend money to acquire good players, but at this moment, it is questionable whether Arsenal needs to bring in any new players.

Goalkeeper

Arsenal supporters were unhappy when Wenger decided not to purchase a goalkeeper, and installed Manuel Almunia as the starter. Almunia's horror show against West Bromwich Albion was one of the main reasons for their defeat, but he sustained an injury during the match, which gave Lukasz Fabianski a chance to impress.

Last season, Fabianski made numerous errors and looked like he would fail every time he took the field. but Wenger maintained his faith in the Polish keeper and gave him an opportunity. He has been excellent this season, especially against Manchester City, where he maintained a clean sheet with a number of superb saves. Fabianski should be Arsenal's No. 1 and is winning over his doubters, with assured performances.

Youngster Wojciech Szczesny impressed in the Carling Cup tie against Newcastle United, and will push Fabianski for the No. 1 slot.  At the moment, there seems to be no need for a new goalkeeper to be signed, and Mark Schwarzer will have to stay with Fulham to his dismay. Manuel Almunia should look for a new club in January, because Arsenal will not need him in the future.

Out: Manuel Almunia

Defenders

Arsenal have good fullbacks in Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna, and their backup players, Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Eboue, are also adept at the highest level. There is no need to sign a fullback, considering that there are promising youngsters, Havard Nordtveit and Thomas Cruise, waiting in the wings.

Arsene Wenger brought in frenchmen Laurent Koscielny and Sebastien Squillaci, to fill the vacancies created by the departures of William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell. Thomas Vermaelen is their best central defender, but has missed several weeks of action due to injury. Koscielny and Squillaci have not performed too badly in his absence. In addition to this defensive trio, Johan Djourou is close to his best after recovering from a long-term injury.

Arsene Wenger believes in Koscielny's talent, and Vermaelen is a superb defender for the Gunners. Squillaci and Djourou can also be good for Arsenal, and if there is a severe injury crisis, Alex Song and Havard Nordtveit can perform the roles for the team. They have decent depth, and there needs to be no new signings in January.

Midfielders

Arsenal have a number of talented central midfielders, and there needs to be no new signings considering the wealth of talent in the squad. Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song are sure starters for the team, with a number of players competing for the third place. Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby and Denilson will be the favorites for the slot, though Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky can also play in central midfield.

Jack Wilshere has impressed in this season, and has justified the faith shown in him by the manager. He has had an excellent time for Arsenal, but has been suspended for three matches following his red card against Birmingham City.

Abou Diaby has also been good this year, and looks like an improved player from last season. Denilson has improved a lot, and looks to have built on his physique for this season. He has been solid whenever he has played, and has supported Song and Fabregas well.

It is clear that there is no need for a new signing in January because there are a number of players in the squad who can do justice to the role. The impressive Aaron Ramsey will also return to full fitness before the end of the year which will be a huge boost to the team. 

Wingers

Arsene Wenger said that he would sign Robert Pires if he was in need for a creative winger, but he will not bring in the legend because of an abundance of creative players in his role.

Samir Nasri has been exceptional this season, and has been the best player for Arsenal. He will start because of his superb performances, but there is a lot of competition for the other winger spot.

Andrei Arshavin has lost some of his blistering pace, but his vision and creativity still make him one of the most deadly players in the world. He has impressive statistics for a player who has been criticized for playing badly.

Theo Walcott has scored six goals and has made a massive improvement from last season, but he will need more playing time. Walcott's speed and composure in front of the goal has made him a potent weapon for Arsenal.

Tomas Rosicky, Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela and Emmanuel Eboue have also shown that they can do a decent job if they are asked to play in that role. Robin van Persie can also be effective as a winger, and will provide a goal-scoring threat from the wings.

On the whole, there are a lot of wingers, and with the likes of Henri Lansbury and Jay Emmaunuel Thomas pushing for a first-team role, it is hard to see any need for signing a winger. 

Striker

Arsenal have preferred to play in a formation consisting of a lone striker, assisted by two wingers. Marouane Chamakh was brought in on a free transfer from Bordeaux, and he has excelled in that role in the absence of Robin van Persie.

Chamakh has proved to be an excellent addition for the Gunners, and is one of the most fit players in the squad. Arsene Wenger will be left with a tough decision to make when Van Persie returns to full fitness because Chamakh has created a major impact for Arsenal.

Nicklas Bendtner is back to full fitness and seems to be at his best after his strikes against Manchester City and Newcastle United. Carlos Vela and Theo Walcott can play in the centre providing Wenger with a lot of options. Yet again, Wenger does not need to make any new signings because Chamakh and Bendtner are looking good, and van Persie is close to a return to full fitness.

The January Signings: Robin van Persie and Aaron Ramsey

Arsenal supporters all over the world would be happy to see that the Welsh youngster Aaron Ramsey is almost back to full fitness, and should play for Arsenal before the end of the year. He is due to return to full training in their next week, and though it will take time before he can play on a regular basis, he can be an impact player for the Gunners.

Ramsey is one of the most promising young midfielders in the world, and was growing in stature until Shawcross broke his leg, which has hampered his development. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger believe in the youngster's talent, which is why they offered a long-term contract to the midfielder. He has amazing vision and creativity, and his passing range and shooting abilities makes him one of the most complete young midfielders in the world.

With the emergence of Jack Wilshere, Ramsey could find it tough to break into the side, but he will get his chances in the Carling Cup and FA Cup, and will hope to get some much-needed playing time. Arsenal need a long-term replacement for Cesc Fabregas, and though Nasri is staking a huge claim for that role, it is Aaron Ramsey who could be the best option for Arsenal, if he returns to his best after the injury.

Jose Mourinho recently commented that Real Madrid had a great January addition in Kaka, who will be returning to full fitness by the end of the year. Similarly for Arsenal, Robin van Persie, who has started in only one game for the Gunners, will make a return to full fitness in the near future. Though he will feature before January, it is as good as a January signing because he has missed almost half the season due to an ankle injury.

He has been faithful to the Gunners, and will love to be back on the pitch to help his comrades win titles. He has an amazing eye for the goal, and if he can remain fit, he will provide a massive boost for the Gunners. He is a world class finisher, and Arsenal will hope they can have his services for major games.

He is Arsenal's best striker and even though Chamakh has been performing very well, Wenger will find a place for the Dutchman, who can change the course of the game with his brilliance.

It is clear that Arsenal do have a lot of depth in this season because even after Wenger made nine changes for the Carling Cup tie from his first team —which defeated Manchester City—Arsenal had an experienced side, and boasted of amazing talent on display. Every single spot on the team will be challenged by talented players, and the competition for places will inspire the players to perform at their best.

Arsenal will have to field strong sides in the FA Cup and Carling Cup to ensure that their stars get adequate playing time in this season. The have already broken their "big match jinx" this season, despite losing to Chelsea.

Some players have shown a remarkable improvement from the last season, like Nasri and Walcott, and this team does have the resources needed to win titles.