Dimitar Berbatov thinks there is a genuine chance Arsenal could be sucked into a relegation battle this season amid their woeful recent form.
The Gunners have won just one of their last eight Premier League games and their defeat against Burnley on Sunday was their fourth in a row at home.
There is huge pressure on them to get a positive result against Southampton on Wednesday, and speaking to Betfair Berbatov gave his view on where things are going wrong for Mikel Arteta and his side.
“I watched the game against Burnley,” he said. “I saw the red card, own goal and chances Arsenal missed. Sometimes when you have all this combined, you are going to suffer.
“You can get a red card, but when it is happening too often and that particular player Xhaka is making too many mistakes and not learning from them, you need to take some action, because the whole team suffers.
“It is not good for anyone – the chances they produce they need to score. I’m so surprised to see Aubameyang not scoring the way he knows how to do.
There have been calls from some for the frozen-out Mesut Ozil to return in February, and Berbatov is among those who think the German playmaker could add something that Arsenal are currently lacking.
“They are not far away from relegation and that will be something to see if Arsenal are in a relegation battle,” he continued.
“Maybe Ozil should come back into the team, you need someone creative who can come up with solutions when things aren’t going well in the final third. At this moment, they need goals obviously.”
