1985: The Chris Whyte experiment

You didn't need to be a genius to work out what was coming. Two transfer windows without purchasing a centre forward was always going to be a gamble for Arsenal, especially when you consider that their one remaining option was clearly out on his feet in recent weeks. The injury to Kai Havertz was depressingly inevitable.

Already discussions have been rife about how Mikel Arteta copes with this crisis. Using Leandro Trossard through the middle seems the obvious answer, yet browsing social media - dangerous, I know - has thrown up various suggestions ranging from playing Raheem Sterling as a false nine, getting Mikel Merino to evolve into Havertz Mark II, to throwing defender Riccardo Calafiori up front and getting it in the mixer.

Playing Calafiori as a centre forward seems a long shot to say the least. Yet if Arteta did take this unusual step he would not be the first Arsenal manager to follow this path. Arsenal fans of a certain vintage will remember the Chris Whyte experiment in 1985, not a band plugged by John Peel on Radio One, rather the brainchild of Don Howe and John Cartwright.

1980/81: Leeds United v Arsenal

This is an edited version of my original article that appeared in issue 291 of The Gooner.

As election news was dominating the front pages in November 1980 – Reagan defeating Carter in the US, with Foot and Healy battling to become Labour leader – another 'e' word was constantly being referenced in relation to football on the back pages. With attendances dropping, many journalists and pundits were questioning whether the sport was providing the remaining fans with enough entertainment.

Stoke manager Alan Durban certainly made his opinion clear on the matter, after his team attempted unsuccessfully to park the bus in a 2-0 defeat at Highbury in September 1980: "If you want entertainment go and watch a bunch of clowns," Durban retorted. However, Arsenal were not exempt from these critical opinions.

1986: Arsenal lose to Watford on consecutive days

Arsenal have suffered at the hands of Watford in recent seasons, but at least they didn’t lose twice to the same club on consecutive days.

In this modern world of ours, it seems that Arsenal are only ever a couple of defeats away from a full-blown crisis. An unwanted reverse can now lead to torn badges appearing in newspapers, as the cracks in the Arsenal fan base expand, Twitter explodes, and even fans of other teams reach for the popcorn and turn to AFTV for some entertainment.