The Gunners, who held a commanding seven-point lead just over a month ago, have seen that gap reduced to two following an inconsistent run that includes draws against Sunderland and Chelsea and a late defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Reflecting on the dip, Timber insisted the quality of Arsenal’s squad remains high, but the constant changes enforced by injuries have caused inevitable disruption.

“Yes, it’s definitely a factor,” he said after the loss at Villa Park. “We have a very strong team and the players who step in always give everything, but it’s not easy when the lineup keeps changing. You can’t play with the same group every week, and when more players drop out, it’s tough. That’s football, and it happens in every season, but we still have to manage it and win games.”

Mikel Arteta is currently without several key players, including defensive trio Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera. Kai Havertz has missed a significant period of the campaign, while Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Jesus have all spent time in the treatment room.

Despite the setbacks, Timber urged Arsenal to use the recent frustration as fuel rather than discouragement. “In the end, these moments have to give us motivation,” he added. “Setbacks happen, but you respond by stepping up. We need to accept what has happened and get better from it.”

Arsenal momentarily turn their attention to the Champions League this week as they travel to Club Brugge on Wednesday, before returning to league action at the Emirates against bottom-placed Wolves a chance to restore momentum in their title push.

With the season’s halfway point approaching and the table tightening, Arteta will be hoping his injury list begins to ease before the pressure mounts further.