Arsenal’s start to the new Premier League season will have many questioning their title credentials, with a 0-0 draw at home to Liverpool on Monday night adding to the Emirates Stadium faithful’s worries.

The performance against an improved Reds side had both positives and negatives, with the hosts dominant for prolonged periods of the second half in particular.

However, for a team with lofty ambitions of becoming English champions this term and not many reasons to suggest that they are not good enough to be, Monday’s action heralded two major concerns.

The first worrying factor came in Arsenal’s repeated coughing-up of possession in dangerous areas, with Arsene Wenger’s men losing the ball in their own half repeatedly in the first 45 minutes in particular.

Although the absence of usual central defensive partnership Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny upset the team’s rhythm, this cannot be used as an excuse when the hosts had the ball.

Regardless of back-up option Calum Chambers not covering himself in glory and being the main villain in giving the ball away, other regular starters were also guilty.

Hector Bellerin did not look like his usual assured presence at right-back, while the usually painstakingly economical Santi Cazorla was even guilty of handing Liverpool the impetus by giving them the ball back needlessly.

This factor is certainly not commonplace for an Arsenal side that are usually so meticulous in possession and as such it will be a frustration  to Wenger.

Secondly, with the North London side failing to hit the back of the net, it means that the Gunners have not scored in five of their last six Premier League home games.

Wenger was full of comments in the pre-match press conference about the importance of making the Emirates Stadium a fortress, but it appears anything but one over recent months.

Failure to score against Liverpool and West Ham this season follow on from blanks against Chelsea, Swansea and Sunderland at the tail-end of last term.

This is simply not good enough for a team with Premier League title ambitions and is slightly baffling given the supreme attacking talent at Wenger’s disposal.

Without jumping on the Olivier Giroud criticism bandwagon, it is only natural to look at the France international for the lack of goals on home soil in recent times.

While title rivals have the likes of Diego Costa, Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney leading their lines, the jury remains out on the former Montpellier man.

Giroud may well have hit an impressive and acrobatic goal against Crystal Palace, but it appears that the targetman lacks the consistency to fire his side to the absolute pinnacle of the English and European game.

Although the Gunners fans are calling for striking reinforcements, there is also an argument to suggest that Theo Walcott deserves an opportunity to start as the furthest man forward against Newcastle at the weekend.

The former Southampton prodigy was in scintillating form in pre-season but has had to watch on from the sidelines for the majority of the 270 minutes of Premier League action so far.

Having been handed a new bumper contract recently, surely it is time to give Walcott his opportunity?

Wenger and the travelling support will expect better care with the ball and more clinical finishing at St James’ Park at the weekend to stave off concerns that popped up against Liverpool.