Arsenal's 3-1 win over Brentford saw them reclaim second place in the Premier League from Nottingham Forest. Manager Mikel Arteta has said the search for a solution without Bukayo Saka - who is out until March after hamstring surgery - will start internally.
In the win over Brentford, Arteta sprung a surprise by giving teenager Ethan Nwaneri his first Premier League start on the right wing, where Saka usually plays.
Nwaneri played relatively calmly and contributed to both of Arsenal's goals in the second half. Meanwhile, the presence of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli on the scoreboard will further strengthen the Gunners' confidence in their attacking firepower to keep up with Liverpool.
The Gunners eventually closed the gap on Liverpool at the top of the table to six points in the absence of both Saka and Kai Havertz. The Germany international was sidelined with a virus that Arteta admitted had affected several players during preparation. Havertz has now returned home to quarantine and is expected to feature against Brighton.
There is still a sense, however, that Arsenal will need more cutting edge if they are to achieve their first major trophy after five years of steady progress under Arteta.
"We have broken a lot of records but the reality is that this team does not have the big titles that we are looking for," said the Spanish strategist.
Three points against the 'Beats' will certainly ease some of the pressure on Arsenal to act in the transfer market next January. However, in reality, many Gunners fans are still hoping for a new 'number 9'.
According to British media, senior figures at the Emirates concluded after being knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by Bayern Munich last season that they needed a winger or centre-forward to bolster their attacking options, and they subsequently identified RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko as their top priority.
Leipzig quickly signed Sesko to a new contract last summer and Arsenal decided to keep it a secret, believing there was no ideal replacement. And now, with Liverpool's impressive form, do Arsenal really need a boost in attack?
The Gunners will soon have to decide whether they should brave the transfer market to find the necessary momentum. Or will they still put their faith in the current squad to take them over the finish line after two years of near success?
Asked if Arsenal's squad lacked options in this situation, Arteta replied: "When I see the willingness of each individual to overcome any challenge and the flexibility we can create in our ideas, the answer is no.
But obviously we don't know if something else happens, we'll have other problems. Hopefully not, hopefully everyone will come back. We need everyone," Arteta said.
