Fans laugh when Arsenal are talked about as title contenders due to it being so unlikely, says former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan.
The Gunners, who lie third in the Premier League, travel to face runaway leaders Chelsea on Saturday looking to reignite their title hopes at a ground they are goalless in over four years.
Forlan competed as Arsenal won the title in 2001-02 and 2003-04 before leaving United and understands the frustations of the fans who have seen the club lift just two FA Cups since.
"Opinions are divided on [Arsene Wenger]," Forlan wrote in The National. "It's quite sad because he’s a brilliant football manger ... but something is not working there. They can’t carry on without being serious title contenders until Wenger decides to quit.
"When Arsenal are talked about as title contenders, people actually laugh because they can’t see it happening."
He added: "No league title since 2004 is not good for a club of their stature ... when I played in England there were times when they were the best team.
"Even some of the other Manchester United players admitted that Arsenal had a better side. Arsenal were one of the few teams against which United had to revert to more defensive tactics because we knew they had players who could seriously punish us.
"Arsenal had Thierry Henry, who was probably the best striker in the world. They had Patrick Vieira, who was almost as good as Roy Keane. They had David Seaman, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires, Arsene Wenger — and trophies.
"They won the double in 2002 and didn’t lose a single league game when they won the league in 2004. They were a winning machine."
