Arsenal may be just a goal off top spot in the Premier League, but former Gunner Emmanuel Petit believes they still need a world-class striker of the ilk of Manchester City's Sergio Aguero to be genuine title contenders.
Former Premier League title winner Petit, who played alongside Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry during his time at Arsenal, feels the Gunners require a more prolific goalscorer to be able to become English champions.
"Even though I love Arsenal and Arsene, I try to stay objective," Petit told SFR Sport. "They never quite satisfy me, and they often frustrate me.
"As long as Arsenal don't have a striker who scores 40 goals a season like Aguero does at Manchester City ... That's what you need in any league: a striker who is one of the best in the world."
Petit & Dugarry ne mettent toujours pas Arsenal parmi les favoris dans la course au titre #PLZone cc @Arsenal_France pic.twitter.com/BQ13QNjviM
- SFR Sport (@SFR_Sport) October 16, 2016
Theo Walcott took his individual tally to five Premier League goals this season with the double strike that gave Arsenal a 3-2 win over Swansea City at the weekend and left them second to Manchester City only on goal difference.
Had Walcott taken more of the opportunities presented to him against Swansea, however, Arsenal may even have leapfrogged City.
The England international has only once hit more than 20 goals in a single season, finding the net 21 times in all competitions in 2012-13. Olivier Giroud managed a personal best of only 24 competitive strikes last term while Alexis Sanchez is yet to better his haul of 25 in his first season in England in 2014-15.