Alan Smith: 'Arsenal must be consistent'

Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has claimed that the Gunners have to be more consistent in their performances if they are to mount a title challenge.

Arsene Wenger's side moved up to second in the Premier League table after beating Manchester United 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Smith has suggested that the North Londoners are not far away from ending their 11-year wait for the Premier League title, but they must improve certain aspects of their game first.

"I don't think they have to win it this year, although it could be a good opportunity with Chelsea's troubles," Smith told Sky Sports News.

"Arsenal are a big, big club with 60,000 punters through the turnstiles at every home game and £200m in the bank. Whatever you say about the spending power of Manchester City and Chelsea, they should be challenging every year from here on in.

"Yes, this could be a really good opportunity and you're looking for consistency but it's not now or never for me. They do need to correct their defensive flaws. They're a super-talented team with a character flaw because they'll always throw in a dodgy or very poor performance."

Arsenal return to league action against Watford on October 17.