Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal will not win the Premier League unless they sign an attacker in January - and says failure to do so will be "negligent".

Earlier this week it was revealed that the Gunners will be without Gabriel Jesus for the rest of the season after the Brazilian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

News of Jesus' lengthy lay-off comes at a time when Mikel Arteta was already without Bukayo Saka, who is set to be sidelined until March at the earliest after undergoing surgery on a hamstring injury he sustained in the Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last month.

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But even though victory in the North London Derby on Wednesday moved the Gunners to within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool, Carragher believes they need January reinforcements to overturn that deficit.

In his Telegraph column, Carragher said: "Arsenal cannot win the title without another attacker. That was true before Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus’s injuries.

"If they do not react before the end of this month it will be negligent because persisting with a strikeforce of Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli will not get the job done.

"Until that situation is resolved, Arsenal’s hopes are based as much on the idea that Liverpool will drop back into the pack as get reeled in because of the form of those chasing them."

The former Liverpool and England defender also insisted this season is a make-or-break season for Arteta, with the Gunners at a "crossroads".

"Have we already witnessed the peak years of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal reign?" added Carragher.

"It feels like this Emirates era is heading towards a crossroads, with Arsenal in the middle of a high-stakes game. This will either be one of the greatest seasons in the club’s history – ending a 21-year wait for the Premier League title – or a campaign which ends amid a highly-charged post-season review into how they squandered their best chance to become champions in two decades.

"For now, Arsenal are just about doing enough to keep the optimists on board the Arteta train. However, emotions are running high.

"There have been moments this season when Arsenal have been an average performance or a defeat away from the first signs of a derailment. Each time it looks like that cliff edge is coming into view, they have responded, hit the brakes and reversed away – most recently with the north London derby win in midweek.

"Now they need a series of statement performances and victories to convince the world they are title material. With respect, beating a tippy-tappy Tottenham Hotspur team which resembles an academy side is not one of them. Wednesday brought an important victory, but not an especially impressive one.

"A win over Aston Villa this weekend, by contrast, will be more symbolic and consequential.

"There are demons to banish against Villa. Unai Emery dented his former club’s title hopes last April, the 2-0 victory sucking the belief out of the home fans. Had Arsenal won that day, they would have won the title.

"This weekend feels especially significant for Liverpool and Arsenal. Liverpool kick off first, a successive away game raising the possibility of their lead reducing further as Arsenal await the outcome before playing Villa. Arne Slot has already missed opportunities to sap the confidence of his rivals because of the draws against Manchester United, especially, and then Nottingham Forest.

"A nine-point Liverpool lead in December is currently a less-intimidating four points, albeit with a game in hand, with Arsenal’s supporters caught between a sense of frustration and enduring belief.

"That does not disguise the reality that Arsenal are not the same team as the last two years. There is yet to be a performance that leaves you thinking they look like the next champions. The balance of the squad is not right."