Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has asserted that would have a better chance of winning the Premier League title if they had a free-scoring center-forward such as Alexander Isak leading the line.

The currently boast a six-point lead at the summit, alongside having a game in hand over the Gunners in the chase for the championship. Arne Slot's side has largely defied pre-season predictions, with the heroics of perennial heroes and , meaning they are now favorites for the title this term.

Now, ex-Anfield captain and manager Souness, who led the Merseysiders to five league crowns during his playing days, has identified what separates Liverpool from its rivals in the race. The outspoken pundit cited Arsenal's semi-final exit from the as evidence that the Gunners are lacking when it comes to potency in front of goal.

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Having witnessed the North Londoners slump to a 4-0 aggregate defeat at the hands of Newcastle United, was left convinced that Mikel Arteta is short in options when it comes to his attack. In his column, Souness opined: "Mikel Arteta has built a really good team who are still a couple of top strikers away from challenging Liverpool to be the very best."

Kai Havertz is the club's top scorer in the Premier League so far this term with nine strikes, with Gabriel Martinelli having scored six, and Bukayo Saka currently on five goals for the season. Overall, the Gunners have scored 49 times in the top flight this campaign, with this future seven short of top-scorers and pace-setters Liverpool.

Slot's outfit has benefited from the dazzling form of talisman this term, with the Egyptian having notched up a staggering 21 goals already in the league. In addition, teammates and have also contributed eight goals each, with Diogo Jota scoring five times.

After Arsenal dominated the possession statistics en route to defeat in both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle, Souness expressed his concern, continuing: "Those strikers are the hardest thing to find. The most important ingredient in building a winning team – and very much Arsenal’s missing ingredient.

Asserting that a player like Newcastle's Isak, who has notched 17 times in 22 outings in the league this term, would give Arteta's side a better chance of winning major prizes, he said: "Put Newcastle United’s in that Arsenal team – because he’s the player they want to buy this summer – and you are looking at a side who would be the finished article and ready to get their hands on either of the two big trophies."

Summing up his thoughts on the Gunners' exit from the competition at the last four stage, as well as their Premier League title chances, he added: "The club’s Carabao Cup semi-final this week proved my point. Yes, Arsenal were beaten by Newcastle United, but for me they were the better team.

"It is the fundamental difference between them and Liverpool. My old club have better goalscorers, which means they don’t have to play well to win games and are less reliant on set-pieces. But without those strikers, Arsenal have to play well to win games."