ARSENAL need FIVE new signings to compete for the Premier League title, reckons Glen Johnson.
The Gunners are red-hot favourites to clinch fourth spot, with Manchester United and Tottenham having both faltered in recent weeks.
Mikel Arteta’s side have improved drastically from last season, but are still some way off the pace set at the very top of the league by Manchester City and Liverpool.
Ahead of Arsenal’s meeting with the Reds on Wednesday night, former Kop ace Johnson has been assessing the Gunners’ chances.
Speaking to Ladbrokes ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, he said: “Right now, you’ve got to say this is a slippery fixture for Liverpool; if this game was being played a couple of months ago, you’d put it down as an easy win – but I don’t think that’s the case now.
“Arsenal have found some form, they’re playing really well and they’re winning games.
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“They’re dogging out results now, and they didn’t have that backbone a couple of months ago.
“They’ve got themselves into fourth spot quietly, and I think it’s going to be a really tough game for Liverpool. If I had to stick my neck out, I’d say Liverpool edge it 2-1.
“There’s absolutely no chance that anyone would’ve backed Arsenal for a top four spot even two months ago, let alone the start of the season.
“They had such a bad start, but Mikel Arteta deserves a lot of credit, and what he’s done very well is get rid of the bad apples in that team.
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“Some eyebrows were raised when certain players went out the door, but he knows that squad much better than we do, and now look what the team are doing – they’re clearly in a much better place both on and off the pitch without some of those players.
“The team he’s got at the moment isn’t good enough to compete for the title – yes, they’re on a good run right now, but once you make the top four and you’re in the Champions League you’ve then got to think about the next step.
“And if they want to close that gap on the top two or three in the league, they still need to improve and bring in reinforcements.
“They certainly need a new striker in the next transfer window, and then a couple of midfielders and centre-halves.
“Listen, they’ve got some decent players, but they’re not good enough to be competing with the best in the division consistently.”
The Gunners have been linked with Swedish forward Alexander Isak, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to be out of contract at the end of the season.
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In midfield, meanwhile, Arteta has settled upon a partnership between Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka – with Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny in reserve.
At the back, Ben White was bought for £50million from Brighton last summer, while Gabriel Magalhaes arrived from Lille for £27m the year before.
