Arsenal FC 2011/12 Season progress

The start of Arsenal's campaign has been overshadowed by the absences of two instrumental players; them being Vermaelen and Wilshere, this has acted as a big miss for them. The biggest wake up call for the club in general was the 8-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester United, this match struck Arsenal nerves hard and emphasized the difficulty of the situation, in which a tough season lies ahead in many respects.
Currently lying in 7th place after 9 games, with 4 wins, 4 losses, and a draw..... This form poses the harsh reality that a mid-table finish isn't unrealistic at this rate, although this is taking into account they've had some immensely tough games at the start of the season.
When Wilshere and Vermaelen are free of injury, we should see a reignited Arsenal side, question will remain as to whether this side are still capable of challenging at the top end of the table. It will be vital that Robin Van Persie can notch up a decent tally of goals this season, otherwise the fire power seemingly appears very lacklustre.
There is no doubt that Arsenals philosophy of Football is a pleasure to behold, but the grit and determination amongst the team remains in doubt, big personalities are needed to pull this team together and generate a decent level of consistency. This means new faces in January are a must, and I don't mean youngsters..... I mean a few experienced faces who are well established at the top level, a more physical pedigree of player could also do Arsenal the world of favours as they've been criticized for lacking strength and physicality.

Prediction: 5th
Over-achieve: 4th
Under-achieve: 7th