The Arsenal squad jetted off to Dubai this week off the back of three straight defeats and their season hanging by a thread.
We are at the halfway point of the season and what promised to be a successful campaign for the gunners is now looking very bleak.
Having failed to win any of their last four, losing the last three (I had the displeasure of being at The Emirates for two of those defeats) Arsenal find themselves in fourth place, five points off the top of the table and also out of the FA Cup.
With January signings looking increasingly unlikely, Mikel Arteta has got to figure out how he can turn his team's fortunes around with the players he already has.
Arsenal have scored just once in their last three games, a rebound from Bukayo Saka in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham on New Years Eve.
I think a huge reason for Arsenal's poor performances is the midfield reshuffle. It is no doubt that Rice has been unbelievable this season, but he needs some help. The ball progression from the midfield to attack is really struggling without the help of Grant Xhaka who left for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer or Thomas Partey who has spent most of this season injured.
There have been reports that Partey is going to be back in February but with his injury record, who knows how long he will be back for?
I like Havertz but I feel that he does not contribute enough to Arsenal's build up play to warrant a place starting in Midfield, I would start him up top or on the bench.
I think the answer to Arteta's woes is keeping Partey fit or playing a three of Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard in the meantime. Arteta started that midfield against Liverpool and we looked good in the first half but still could not turn the early dominance into goals.
Arteta has got to figure out his best midfield and then everything will start falling into place.
It would also help if the forwards could pull their finger out and remember how to put the ball in the back of the net.
The performances largely haven't been too disheartening, other than against Fulham, but a few minor improvements and Arsenal's title challenge can be revived.
In both the West Ham and the Liverpool games, Arsenal were left to rue their lack of ruthlessness as they failed to turn any of their 48(!) shots into a goal.
It is no question that a prolific striker would solve a lot of Arsenal's issues but that seems like an issue that will look to be solved in the summer.
Gabriel Jesus missed the Liverpool game through a knee injury and Kai Havertz was given the nod. Whilst he looked lively and managed to get in some goal scoring chances, he failed to make a real impact, looking unconvincing when it came to actually putting the ball in the back of the net.
Bukayo Saka has looked well off the heights he reached last season in recent games, as has Gabriel Martinelli, who was dropped for Reiss Nelson against Liverpool.
Arsenal don't have a game this weekend, and for the first time in a while Arsenal fans will probably be quite happy about not getting to watch their team play.
Arsenal's next game is against Crystal Palace on January 20th (Another game I will be attending) and Arteta and his squad will be putting in the work in Dubai as they look to turn their form around.
What Arsenal really need is their wingmen back firing. Arsenal's unlikely title push last season's largely down to the goal scoring efforts of Saka and Martinelli and their struggles are the main reason Arsenal are not performing as well this year.
Let us hope that the squad's reset in Dubai leads to an upturn in form and a resurgence in the second half of the season.
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