The physical demands on players and relentless schedule meant Arteta and the club decided they needed to bring in high-calibre players to ensure there was not a drop in quality during times like this.

Havertz has a knee injury that will keep him out for weeks, Saka has been unavailable since the 5-0 win over Leeds with a hamstring injury, while centre-back Saliba was withdrawn with an ankle problem in the defeat at Liverpool.

Midfielder Odegaard has had a shoulder problem and was again withdrawn against Forest after an awkward fall.

The absence of this quartet would usually be a cause for crisis at Arsenal, and injuries to their influential players last season was a major factor in why the Gunners fell away in the title race to finish second behind Liverpool and falter in the Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain.

While Arteta will be eager for those players to return, his side – led by impressive England duo Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze – proved they have the talent and options to cope and get results.

When asked about his summer recruitment, the Spaniard said: “If we wouldn’t have done that and, as you said, with the injuries that we have, unfortunately some of them are very difficult to control, we would have been in a very different place.

“We knew that that was the standard, that’s the standard of the other teams in the league in Europe, and you can see that.

“I’m very happy because it gives us options, it gives us the capacity as well to change games, it gives the capacity to have presence in the team, and now we have to make sure that everybody feels connected and important.”

Arsenal travel to Spain on Tuesday to face Athletic Bilbao for the first of their Champions League games this season and Arteta said that was another reason the club decided to invest.

“The players have to play 70 or 74 games throughout the season. It’s never been done,” he added.

“When the intensity was that high, they are not going to be able to sustain that. So you need more players, the standards have raised, we need better players and there’s no secret.”

It was a sentiment backed up by former Arsenal defender Martin Keown.

“That was a real scary show of strength from Arsenal, with the quality of player. You’ve been without Havertz, and Saka unavailable, and that was a problem for Arsenal last season, but not this,” he told TNT Sports.

“Madueke, Eze coming in today, both of them outstanding. Gyokeres, what about that second goal, so direct, forward pass. This man in the box, a real predator.

“The quality of the group, even this young man [Cristhian Mosquera] at the back, what a performance that was. His full debut at Arsenal, home game, outstanding.

“At the moment, Arsenal are looking so strong.”