Arsenal saw their Premier League title hopes take a severe hit following a surprise 2-1 home defeat by Watford on Tuesday.

Arsene Wenger’s men were embarking on a seven-match unbeaten run going into their clash with the Hornets, but that was thrown into jeopardy almost immediately as Walter Mazzarri’s side opened up a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes thanks to goals from Younes Kaboul and Troy Deeney.

Alex Iwobi gave the Gunners hope early in the second half, but Wenger’s men were unable to avoid a fourth league defeat of the campaign, which saw them fall nine points behind league leaders Chelsea after they drew 1-1 at Liverpool on the same night.

Arsenal slipped to third in the table behind North London rivals Tottenham following the defeat, on a day which also saw the transfer window slam shut after 31 days of business.

The Gunners were one of several Premier League clubs to do little during the window, although they were linked with numerous top-quality players in a bid to improve the squad.

Thus, here is what the Arsenal FRONT FOUR could have looked like if they had landed this one key deal…

Theo Walcott

England international Theo Walcott was surprisingly omitted from the Arsenal starting eleven in the defeat against Watford on Tuesday night, despite netting a hat-trick on his return from injury against Southampton on Saturday.

The 27-year-old hadn’t played for the Gunners since their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City back on December 18, which somewhat interrupted a fine season for the attacker who had, up to that point, netted eight goals and laid on two assists in the Premier League.

Arsenal fans will be hoping that Walcott can stay injury-free for the rest of the campaign as, like he proved in the first half of the season, he is could be a huge asset to Wenger’s side when on form and full of confidence.

Mesut Ozil

Although Mesut Ozil has yet to agree a new and improved contract at the Emirates, there were no late January attempts to drag him away from North London.

The German World Cup winner is currently embarking on his best goal-scoring season since moving to Arsenal back in 2013, with his tally of nine goals in all competitions one better than last season’s tally.

With seven assists in all competitions as well, it’s clear that the 28-year-old is an integral member of Wenger’s side, so tying him down to a new deal over the coming months is imperative if Arsenal want to push on in the next few years.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez’s assist for Alex Iwobi’s strike against Watford means that he has at least scored or laid on an assist in all but one of his last 13 appearances for Arsenal, dating back to mid-November.

The Premier League’s joint top-scorer with 15 goals is in the form of his life this term, having netted 17 in all competitions for the Gunners, as well as laying on 11 assists.

That’s a staggering amount of goals that Sanchez has been directly involved in, which makes it absolutely vital that they tie him down to a new deal, given his contract expires at the end of next season.

The Chilean international is the one that makes Arsenal tick, so keeping him beyond the January deadline is great news for Gunners fans, but how much longer he’ll remain at the Emirates remains to be seen.

Andrea Belotti

Arsenal reportedly failed with a £56 million bid for Torino’s Andrea Belotti during January, who would certainly have been the prolific forward many feel the Gunners have lacked in recent times.

The 23-year-old has scored 14 goals in just 19 Serie A appearances for the club this term, which means that he is just one behind the current league top-scorers Gonzalo Higuain, Edin Dzeko, and Mauro Icardi.

The Italian international, who made his debut for the national team only last year and has netted three goals in just five matches, has already surpassed his league tally from last season, and has been directly involved in 17 of Torino’s 39 goals in Serie A this term.

Belotti is clearly one of the form strikers in European football, so it’s no surprise to see the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool linked with the Italian, who would certainly bolster any attack in the Premier League.

However, he’ll remain in Turin for the remainder of the season, although interest is sure to be rife in the summer should he continue his excellent form over the coming months.