Arsenal have emerged as surprise title contenders following an excellent start to life under Unai Emery.

Replacing the legendary Arsene Wenger was always going to be difficult, but the Gunners look back to their best following a difficult transitional period. Emery was handed a baptism of fire with fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea kicking off his reign as boss. Since the defeats, Arsenal have been wonderful, racking up nine consecutive wins in all competitions.

With their new signings starting to settle into life, Arsenal are firmly in the title race, just two points behind leaders Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. The Gunners have shown they can beat the lesser opposition in the Premier League and their mettle will truly be tested in the coming weeks with fixtures against the top six upcoming. To continue their excellent form, Emery should be scouting for potential January additions.

One man he should be watching is South Africa sensation – Lebo Mothiba. Valued at just £2.7m by Transfermarkt, the forward joined current club Strasbourg after Lille were forced into a sale this summer due to financial difficulties. Aware of the youngster’s talents, they included a buyback option, and 50% sell on clause in the deal.

Mothiba has been in excellent form in Ligue 1, finding the back of the net five times already. As a result, he was rewarded with another call-up to the South Africa national team where he became the first player in the nation’s history to score in each of his first three appearances. The 22-year-old could prove to be a useful addition to the Arsenal squad if his goalscoring exploits continue.

Prizing him away from France shouldn’t prove too difficult as the chance to express himself on the world’s biggest stage would be hard to turn down. If his performances continue, the Gunners should definitely try to lure him to North London.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?