Following Spurs' defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the early lunchtime kick-off, Arsenal failed to capitalise on the opportunity to bridge the gap between themselves and their north London rivals following their disappointing 1-0 loss to Southampton.
Ralph Hasenhüttl's men took the lead in the 44th minute courtesy of Polish defender Jan Bednarek, who notched his fourth goal of the season just before half-time. It was certainly against the run of play as Arsenal were the dominant team possession-wise throughout the first half and a similar pattern was observed after the interval, but the north Londoners failed to offer any cutting edge when it truly mattered inside the attacking third.
Goals have been a significant worry for Arsenal this season and it's clear that the majority of Arsenal's problems arise because they lack a striker who offers a clinical touch in front of goal, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah only managing four Premier League goals between them. Meanwhile, in Manchester, Cristiano Ronaldo clinched his second hattrick of the season yesterday in the Red Devils' 3-2 victory over Norwich, which now puts Ralf Rangnick's men in fifth place, ahead of Arsenal.
READ MORE: Arsenal given incentive to sign Ruben Neves transfer alternative after Premier League claim
Ronaldo has been on the receiving end of significant criticism this season, largely because of the lack of quality he is offering in terms of overall play. But there is no denying that the former Real Madrid superstar possesses world-class movement and finishing inside the opponent's box and Ian Wright spoke about how his former club are lacking a player of his calibre.
Unsurprisingly, well-known Arsenal fan and celebrity Piers Morgan agrees with Wright and stated on his official Twitter account that his team should do everything they can to sign Ronaldo in the upcoming transfer window. "Arsenal should sign Ronaldo this summer," he said. "I’m deadly serious. That would solve our striker problem and help me move on from Aubameyang. I’ve already sorted (Ronaldo) a shirt."
Certainly, it's clear that Arsenal need to address the centre forward issue in the summer, with the likes of Dominic Calvert Lewin and Jonathan David linked with a move to the Emirates stadium. But the type of striker Arsenal can bring in will heavily depend on whether the club can secure Champions League football for next season.
