Mark Lawrenson says Arsenal are very much still in the title race but they have to sign a 15-20 goal-a-season striker to maintain their challenge.

Speaking to Paddy Power, the former Liverpool defender was asked whether the Gunners have fallen out of contention for top spot but he was adamant that is not the case:

“Arsenal haven’t bottled the title race; they’ve just had an iffy spell. It’s the worst-kept secret. Everyone knows that they need an out-and-out striker. I watched their game against Fulham and even after they scored, they didn’t create many chances and it was a bit too easy for Fulham to defend.”

“It’s a glaring fact that they need a goalscorer. They’re hard to find, but I would still put them in the title race. Teams have a dip. Manchester City had a dip until they won last week. It’s just the way it is but if Arsenal are serious about winning the league, they will buy a striker. In fairness to their owners, they’ve spent a lot of money, they just need a 15-20 goal a year man, but don’t most teams.”

Will Arsenal sign a striker?

There is no doubt that manager Mikel Arteta would like to bring in a new No.9. Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins are known to be on the London club’s radar.

However, finances mean that it will be very difficult to spend the sort of money required to secure a top-class forward during the January transfer window.

Arteta is trying to keep fans’ expectations in check

The Gunners boss was asked in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Liverpool game on Sunday whether there would be any signings this month.

Arteta said it is “a possibility” that no players would be brought in. While it is not the answer that supporters will want to hear, there seems to be a decent chance that Arsenal won’t recruit the striker they desperately need.