Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Michael Brown has now given his verdict on how good a chance Arsenal stand of being crowned Premier League champions this season.
Arsenal reinvigorated their Premier League title hopes with a 3-1 win against Liverpool on Sunday.
That triumph over the current league leaders at the Emirates Stadium took the Gunners to within two points of the Reds. It was a landmark victory that very much kept Arsenal in the heat of the title race.
However, Arsenal have since been warned that they must build upon this result in a positive fashion. Mikel Arteta will know that his side could well undo much of their recent hard work if they fail to get a win against West Ham United this weekend.
Of course, few would consider the north London club to be the favourites to win the title this season. Manchester City are a trophy-winning juggernaut who will take some stopping.
Arsenal and Liverpool now finds themselves both cast as underdogs in this three-horse race. However, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has now informed Arsenal and the Merseyside outfit what their current focus must be on if one of them is to upset the odds and steal away Manchester City’s crown.
Are Arsenal missing a vital piece in Premier League title quest?
BBC Sport pundit Michael Brown is not entirely convinced, though, that Arsenal have what it takes to come out on top in this particular race this time around. He said, “I think you would say they’re one striker away possibly. That’s what all the noise is that everybody’s making.”
“In different positions they’re quite strong. It’s just growing that mentality. Have they got enough to challenge to win the title? I think they’re already challenging. It might take another year for them to keep improving, to really put the pressure on to actually win a title.”
“The squad is certainly capable too after seeing them beat Liverpool. I think they’re right in the mix since City have got to play Liverpool yet as well. They’re right in it and they’ll have learned from last season too.”
There has certainly been a lot of talk about Arsenal needing a new striker. Gabriel Jesus has not been prolific in the Premier League this season, with only four goals in the division under his belt so far. Neither Eddie Nketiah or Kai Havertz are fully convincing alternative solutions either.
Arsenal have been linked with a number of potential transfer targets who could represent an upgrade on Jesus. However, with the January transfer window now shut, there is no chance of another attacker coming into the club now in time to make an impact this season. Jesus recently made a vow to adapt his game in an effort to become a more efficient goalscorer. Unless he is able to live up to that promise, Arsenal may well struggle to amass the amount of goals they need to make themselves Premier League champions.
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