John Aldridge: Liverpool's loss against Arsenal due to lack of quality strikers

Former Liverpool forward John Aldridge believes that it was a pure lack of quality strikers that led to the Reds being demolished by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on 4 April.

Brendan Rodgers' side were convincingly beaten 4-1 by the north London club and all four goals scored by Arsene Wenger's team were straight out of the top drawer prompting the former Anfield favourite to rue the lack of quality forwards at the club.

The Northern Irishman, who lost last season's top scorer Luis Suarez in the summer, failed to bring in a top quality replacement and has had to depend on Daniel Sturridge for the goals, but the Englishman has suffered an injury ravaged season that has seen him take part in just 12 games in the Premier League scoring a meagre four goals.

Apart from the former Chelsea striker, the manager brought in Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert, and the duo have failed to contribute on the goal scoring front and have just scored three goals between them in the league. The former Liverpool striker believes that every big team must have top quality forwards, who can score goals on a consistent basis.

"But when all is said and done, we know why Arsenal won at the Emirates. Finishing," Aldridge wrote in the Liverpool Echo.

"It sounds simple, and obvious, but they had players in their squad who could score goals. Players who are willing to shoot, and take a risk in order to score a goal. That was the big difference."

"The likes of Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, they produced top-drawer strikes, on a day when we could muster very little by way of a real attacking threat. The worrying thing is that this is not a new issue with Liverpool. We simply don't have enough goal scorers in our ranks," the former Republic of Ireland international explained.

"Take out Daniel Sturridge, who came on as sub on Saturday, and what is there? Ricki Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini are obviously not in favour, for one reason or another, so who else is there?"

"Our leading league scorers have six goals each. Six goals. It's April. We had a feast in that regard last season, but it's been famine this," Aldridge added.

"It's a big problem. That game on Saturday was never a 4-1, in my opinion, but when one side has clinical finishers, that's what you get. It's the key difference between the sides at the top and the sides striving to get there."

However, the Reds great believes that if all goes according to plan for Liverpool and Arsenal in the FA Cup, they could have their revenge in the final of the competition in May.

The Gunners are in the semi-final of the tournament, while the Merseyside club have yet to cross their quarter-final hurdle and take on Blackburn Rovers in a replay on 8 April at Ewood Park.

"Remember how we felt when we swept them away in those opening 20 minutes at Anfield? It was some of the most thrilling football we have seen in many a year."

"They turned the tables on us on Saturday. Three goals in seven minutes killed us off well and truly. The game was over before half time," the former Real Sociedad striker remarked.

"Revenge, though, could be sweet. In all likelihood, Arsenal are going to be in the FA Cup final come May, so we could get the chance to avenge Saturday," Aldridge concluded.