In an unusually quiet window most of the top teams did little or nothing to strengthen and Crystal Palace were the biggest spenders
Arsenal
Arsenal’s free-spending summer was counteracted by an austere January and Mikel Arteta will have to battle on with what he believes is one of the league’s thinnest squads. Targets at centre-forward and on the wing were impossible to land this winter so their domestic and European hopes rest on keeping players fit. Although interest from West Ham in Emile Smith Rowe was flat-batted a few younger players were allowed to depart, Bradley Ibrahim and Lino Sousa leaving permanently while Charles Sagoe Jr joined Swansea on loan. Nick Ames
Key ins: None. Key outs: None.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery landed his No 1 target in Morgan Rogers, who can play across the front line in his favoured 4-3-3, giving him sufficient confidence that Villa did not require further backup for talisman Ollie Watkins. Jhon Durán will play second fiddle on his return from a hamstring problem and Emery has stated Nicolò Zaniolo can operate as a striker. Villa recalled Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Plymouth to provide backup for the right-back Matty Cash and brought in Australia’s Joe Gauci as a backup goalkeeper. Ben Fisher