Jamie Carragher makes Mikel Arteta sack claim after Man City defeat

Jamie Carragher says he expects Mikel Arteta to avoid the sack even if Arsenal finish as runners-up in the Premier League for a fourth successive season this term.

Arsenal had the chance to open up an imperious 12-point advantage over Manchester City earlier this month, but a shock defeat at home to Bournemouth stopped the Gunners in their tracks.

The gap reduced to just three points on Sunday afternoon as City edged to a 2-1 win over the league leaders, with Erling Haaland scoring the decisive goal in front of a rapturous Etihad crowd.

City – who have a game in hand over Arsenal – return to action against lowly Burnley in two days’ time and victory at Turf Moor would send Pep Guardiola’s men top for the first time since as far back at October.

Arsenal play host to an out-of-sorts Newcastle in their next contest and a morale-boosting showing at Emirates may prove to be key if Mikel Arteta’s side are to keep their hopes of a first title in 22 years alive.

Speaking after Arsenal’s setback in Manchester, a defiant Arteta insisted his ‘belief’ had not waned given the quality he sees from his players on a daily basis.

‘I believe today, I believe on Wednesday, I believed a week ago because I see them every day and I know the level that we have,’ the Spaniard told reporters.

‘But today, if they need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. We are talking about it in the dressing room.

‘It’s a new league now. We have three points of advantage, they have the game in hand.

‘Everything is still to play for. We know how much we want it and we are not going to stop!’

Giving his views on the state of the title race a day on from Arsenal’s defeat, former Liverpool defender Carragher insisted the season was far from done and dusted.

However, the Sky Sports pundit believes City have wrestled themselves into the driving seat after what he felt was a ‘brilliant game’ at the Etihad.

‘I think City have got the edge,’ Carragher said.

‘I just think momentum, experience, how that will affect Arsenal psychologically… not just that game, the run of games that they’re on, the performances as well.

‘This was definitely a better performance, there’s no doubt about that.

‘I thought it was a brilliant game, it was a testament to both teams, both managers, it felt like a real top-level game.’

On the two teams’ respective run-ins, Carragher continued: ‘City have got the harder fixtures, there’s no doubt.

‘But when you get to this stage and you’re in Arsenal’s position, just searching for a win from anywhere and the nerves are kicking in, the supporters are getting anxious, their next two games are at home in the Premier League, it almost doesn’t matter who you play.

‘It’s more about you really. We’ve seen them lose to Bournemouth and most people would have said that was a game they should win.

‘Newcastle is the next game and Newcastle are struggling right now, but you can’t hang your hat on Arsenal at the moment because this run has gone on now for four or five games in different competitions and they just need to stop it quickly.’

Arsenal have managed just one win from their last six matches in all competitions, a wretched run that Carragher believes will have badly knocked confidence levels within Arteta’s squad.

‘I just think City will be so confident now, City, they’ll expect to win,’ the ex-England international went on.

‘I don’t think Arsenal will be expecting to win all their games, but there’s no doubt they’ve got the easier fixtures.

‘I think those games against Atletico Madrid will take a lot out of them physically and mentally.

‘That’s a big thing with Arsenal when you watch them right now, it’s not just the ability, it’s physically how do they feel? It’s not going to be easy.’

According to Carragher, Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash demonstrated the sizeable difference in quality between the respective attacks of Arsenal and City.

‘If Arsenal do miss out I would put it down to that,’ he explained.

‘When you think of the Rayan Cherki goal yesterday, I don’t think Arsenal can score that goal. I don’t think they can.

‘I think Erling Haaland scores that. Havertz has two big chances… not every striker scores all their chances but if you give Haaland two chances like that then he’s scoring one of them.

‘That’s the difference, there’s definitely a lot more quality in the attack for Manchester City than there is for Arsenal right now.

‘But Arsenal are still in there! If one of the teams won all their games, they would have an unbelievable chance of winning it because I do think the other team would drop something.

‘Arsenal have got to think like that: win all our games and we’ll be champions. They’ve got a great chance of doing that if they accomplish that.’

But while Arsenal face the prospect of another trophyless season, Carragher is confident Arteta’s position is safe.

Asked if it was ‘now or never’ for the Arsenal head coach, Carragher replied: ‘Yes and no. I don’t think it’s a case that if they didn’t win the league then Mikel Arteta would be out of a job, nothing like that.

‘But this does feel different than previous seasons because I don’t think I’ve ever felt they were the best team in the league.

‘I think for the majority of this season most people in this country have felt Arsenal have the best squad and the best team, and now it’s just turning very late in the season unfortunately for them.

‘I think in the past we’ve always felt it was Liverpool last season or it was City a couple of seasons before that, they did have the edge on Arsenal and they should win it. The best team won it.

‘It hasn’t felt like that for a lot of this season and there’s been times where Arsenal have been nine points clear, they had a chance to go 12 points clear, situations like that.’

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