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Arsenal responded to their 8-2 humiliation at Old Trafford by purchasing five players in the final 48 hours of the transfer window, and punters appear impressed by their business.

Park Chu-Young, Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Yossi Benayoun and Mikel Arteta all arrived at the Emirates as the deadline approached to cushion the blows of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy's departures earlier in the window.

The consequence is that, having been backed at what has to be considered a staggering high just three games into the campaign of 38.0 to win the title, they are now back in to 27.0.

Their odds to continue a perfect record of top-four finishes under Arsene Wenger have also moved significantly inwards as a result of their late action, with the Gunners now available at 2.5 having at one point sunk all the way out to 5.0.

They are already an alarming six points off the pace after the strong starts of their perceived main rivals for Champions League qualification - Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea - but have clawed back big deficits before at the expense of Tottenham and Aston Villa.

Arteta and Benayoun don't quite have the top-level experience of the men whose boots they will be filling, Fabregas and Nasri, however they are proven Premier League performers who fit the Arsenal mould, giving the club some much needed depth in an area where they have traditionally flourished.

Jack Wilshere in particular was excited by his manager's choice of new midfield companions, predicting that "Benayoun will create and score goals for us" and labelling Arteta's addition the "best news of the day" and a "brilliant signing".

It wasn't a great finale to an uneventful summer for Arteta's former employers Everton though, who also lost Jermaine Beckford to Championship side Leicester.

Royston Drenthe and Argentine striker Denis Stracqualursi joined on loan, yet that hasn't stopped them shooting in from 20.0 to 9.4 for the drop, a price which seems a slight overreaction given that they have managed to keep hold of the majority of their stars.

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