Arsenal legend Ray Parlour issued a warning to the club ahead of their Premier League match against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Gunners trail Jurgen Klopp's front-runners by five points, and slipping to eighth place could prove too challenging, considering the confidence boost Liverpool would gain from a victory over their title rivals, especially after eliminating Arsenal from the FA Cup last month.
Parlour, who possesses valuable insights into winning Premier League titles, believed Sunday afternoon's match is a must-win for Mikel Arteta's men. If they fall short, he suggests they could be in "big, big trouble."
"They've [Arsenal] got to bounce back," Parlour said, speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport via Instant Casino. "But if they lose against Liverpool, suddenly it's big, big trouble for the title.
"It's an old cliché, but you’ve got to take it one game at a time. The most important one is the next game now. Arsenal needs to make sure they win that one, and then hopefully that gives the lads a little bit more confidence to go forward in the title race."
Arsenal started the season in impressive form but lost momentum over the festive period, sliding from first to third in the table.
They have since stabilized with consecutive wins over Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest. However, a defeat to Liverpool could be a significant setback, especially considering the challenging fixtures ahead.
After hosting the Reds at the Emirates today, Arsenal faces an away trip to West Ham and concludes the month with tough matches against Newcastle and Porto in the Champions League.
Parlour, aged 50, played over 450 times for the Gunners during a 13-year stint at the club. He won three Premier League titles and was part of the iconic Invincibles squad that went unbeaten in the league in 2003/04.
The midfielder remains an Arsenal cult hero, with fans affectionately dubbing him 'the Romford Pele.'
