The last two summers bear many resemblances for Arsenal in terms of player departures, two star players gone for big money, but in terms of players coming in, the two transfer windows could not have been more different.
Last year Arsene Wenger left the largest portion of his spending until the last minute- bringing in no less than five players in the final two days following their chastening 8-2 defeat to Manchester United.
This year they did all their business relatively early, with Santi Cazorla's signing on August 7 the final piece of transfer business.
Yet on transfer deadline day many Arsenal fans were busy venting their fury on Twitter at the lack of transfer activity, especially watching their rivals Tottenham spend away.
Supporters can be hard to please at times, Arsenal can't really win. When the Gunners left all their business until the last minute last year, they were criticised for panic buying.
When they acted early this year, supporters moaned on deadline day at the lack of activity, including the enduringly divisive Piers Morgan who was frantically Tweeting and moaning that the lack of activity could cost the Gunners.
It might do, we'll only know at the end of the season, but Arsenal only have to look over, or more accurately look downwards, at rivals Spurs to see they did the right thing in acting early.
Sure the Van Persie situation dragged on longer than it should have, and no fan was happy to see him go to Manchester United, but Arsenal did get a very good price for him, and importantly they sorted it out before the season started.
An opening draw with Sunderland was a disappointment, but yesterday's away win over Liverpool was a sign of a settled team, with class all over the pitch.
Compare that to Tottenham's team, with a new manager and fresh ideas of course, but they are still to get to know each other and deadline day arrivals Hugo Lloris and Clint Dempsey are yet to even feature.
In the long-run Spurs will be better for making the signings, and sure it is exciting to make a late swoop on the drama of deadline day, but they have just 2 points of a possible 9, and that could cost them in the long-run.
The most poignant comment I saw was a sage Arsenal fan who wrote, "If Cazorla, Giroud and Podolski had been bought on deadline day, everyone would have been well happy."
On deadline day perhaps, but it was far more beneficial for the Gunners to bring them in earlier. Had they not, a win may not have come so easy at Anfield yesterday, and as poor as Liverpool were, they could even have swung it had Arsenal's new boys not been there.
Last year Arsenal were still trying to settle in their new signings in mid-September, when they lost 4-3 away to Blackburn. Right now they are already there.
On the back of the 2-0 win at Anfield, and Abou Diaby's performance especially answering questions over why Alex Song was not replaced, perhaps Arsene does know after all?
What do you think of Arsenal's transfer activity? Should they have bought on deadline day or do they have enough?
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
Dan Coombs
@hitcdancoombsGoogle+more stories from Dan Coombs
Dan Coombs is a writer who is keen to embrace the internet revolution. He first started writing for us in June 2011 and commenced his new role as Sports Editor in February 2012.
As a trained journalist he has met famous faces from Mr T to Boris Johnson. He once featured in an England World Cup music video too, but it did not make the charts.
He grew up wanting to be a Formula 1 driver, but it looks like this dream has passed him by. Instead, he hopes you enjoy reading his writing on our site, as we seek to debate the day's sporting hot topics.
The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire
Hubris: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain
