Alan Shearer column: 'Arsenal back on track but still need a striker to go distance in title race'

If Arsenal were short of confidence after three straight defeats, then Crystal Palace turned out to be pretty much the perfect opponents to get them back on track.

The Eagles were so weak and passive that I never thought for one second they would trouble Mikel Arteta's side. The Eagles offered next to nothing, and got the battering their performance deserved.

Arsenal, in contrast, looked refreshed and full of energy after their winter break and their set-piece routines got them off to the perfect start.

They ended up easy winners but having said all that, and seen them score five goals, I still haven't changed my mind about what the Gunners are missing.

They are only two points behind leaders Liverpool despite having a horrible run in the past month, but I still think they need a quality centre-forward to go to that next level, and go on and win the Premier League.

I was at Emirates Stadium for Arsenal's previous two matches, when they lost to West Ham in the Premier League and Liverpool in the FA Cup, and they had opportunities to win both games but couldn't take them. Not only that, they sometimes didn't even manage to get a shot away.

I thought Brentford's Ivan Toney could be the answer, with the wide players Arsenal have got and the service they would give him, but it doesn't look like they are going to do any business for Toney this month, or make any other major forward signings before the window closes.

Arsenal are still creating chances and I don't think that has ever been an issue for them but, whereas last season more players were chipping in with goals, this time the numbers are not as good from their forward players, particularly in the league.

I don't feel that it's the case that, as a team, they have lost some of that attacking spark in order to improve their defensive solidity - it's more that they are just missing the chances they are making.

They are not far away and I just think that, if they were to get someone in, it might make a big difference - but that seems unlikely for now.

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Set-piece strength nothing new for Gunners

Two set-pieces put Arsenal on their way against Palace but that is not something they have just been working on in training over the past two weeks, because it's been a strength of theirs all season.

Even before Saturday, no team had scored more Premier League goals than them from free-kicks or corners.

We've seen before how important set-pieces are to any team - I remember during the 2018 World Cup when they played a major part in England's exciting run to the semi-finals.

They work if you have got players who can deliver quality balls into the area, which Arsenal obviously have, and also have people who are desperate to get on the end of them. The Gunners have that threat from Gabriel, as we saw again against Palace, plus from William Saliba and others.

Add in the intelligence of people like Leandro Trossard, who blocked Palace defender Joachim Andersen when the corner came in for his side's first goal, then you can see why they are so successful.

Who will have staying power in title race?

Arsenal are right in this title race, and things are really hotting up at the top of the table.

Manchester City have won six games in a row in all competitions, and look like they are hitting the kind of form that everyone has been waiting for from them.

They looked pretty sharp against Newcastle last weekend, and of course Kevin de Bruyne won them that game when he came on, with 21 minutes of genius.

I heard Pep Guardiola say that De Bruyne is not ready to start games yet, so it looks like they are going to be extra cautious with him, to try to keep him fit for the rest of the season.

For the time being, though, he is a brilliant weapon if he is needed in the final half hour and, with Erling Haaland still to come back into their team too, City are in a really good place - as are Liverpool.

The hamstring injury that Mohamed Salah has picked up while playing for Egypt is a concern, but I don't think Jurgen Klopp's side are short of firepower without him.

Klopp can start with any three of Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, and if it is not working he can flip them in the second half to change the game, something we have seen them do so many times in the past few months.

That's what makes Liverpool a real threat for me, but it is not the only reason I think they will be in this race until the end.

In Alisson and Virgil van Dijk, they have probably got the best goalkeeper in the league and also the best centre-half, who is back playing his best football again.

Then you have got Aston Villa, who have surprised us all. They have dropped a few points in the past few weeks but they are still at the top end of the table.

The size of their squad compared to the other teams up there means they have not been able to switch their team around a lot, but they have stayed in touch and to be where they are at this stage is a brilliant achievement.

Tottenham are not far away either. They did not get the win they wanted at Old Trafford last week but they were far better than Manchester United and will be even better when James Maddison comes back from injury, which could be before the end of the month. Son Heung-min's absence at the Asian Cup is a blow, but I am expecting them to keep on improving.

As things stand, the top five are only separated by five points but my feeling is that we will be down to two teams in the running by the time the title is decided.

It is City and Liverpool who I think will be left fighting it out in the final weeks of the season, with City ultimately taking it - but that is only my guess. It's been a fascinating title race so far, and there are plenty more twists and turns to come.

Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

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