Sky Sports activities pundit Jamie Carragher says Arsenal have gotten over-reliant on profitable video games by finite margins and that would derail their title chase later within the season.
The Gunners presently sit prime of the Premier League desk, some extent higher off than second-placed Manchester Metropolis, having secured 5 of their 9 victories by single-goal margins.
That features a 1-0 win over Metropolis in early October, in addition to a 1-0 triumph of their newest league outing towards Brentford, the place Kai Havertz discovered an 89th-minute winner.
Carragher believes Arsenal will in the end come unstuck of their problem for a primary league title since 2003-04 if they don’t seem to be capable of win video games extra convincingly – highlighting a selected drop-off in attacking productiveness.
“We’re still only a third of the way through the season, but I think if Arsenal continue how they are, if this is the Arsenal we’re going to see this season, I don’t think they can win the league,” Carragher stated on Monday Evening Soccer.
“I believe so many video games are going to the wire and generally that may go towards you – you consider the [Aaron] Ramsdale mistake and the large probability Brentford had within the second half on the weekend.
“Those games that finish 1-0 can easily go 1-0 the other way.”
Carra says Arsenal are missing the type of fluidity and power that made them so harmful final season, with attacking output from key gamers not but hitting the identical heights.
“For me, when we’re talking about a different Arsenal – we can see it with the stats, but everyone can see with their eyes.
“It is not the identical fluidity, the identical tempo, power and creating probabilities – you’ll be able to see that.
“The reason I don’t think they are as fluid is that individually, the attacking players have been average this season, whereas they were on absolute fire last season in terms of [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Bukayo] Saka and [Gabriel] Jesus.
“[Martin] Odegaard for me final season was up there alongside Kevin De Bruyne, however I do know he is had a couple of damage issues.”
Monday Night Football guest, and former Arsenal forward Freddie Ljungberg, believes Arsenal are equipped to challenge Man City for Premier League honours but need to focus on rediscovering their attacking impetus.
“I think definitely they’re ready to challenge for the title,” he stated, “but the stats here are quite telling to be honest and I don’t think that will work in their favour.
“If I take a look at Metropolis, you nearly must be 10 factors in entrance of them at Christmas, as a result of they’re at all times so robust within the spring.
“One thing I would take into consideration is that other teams now have respect for Arsenal – the same way they approach a game against City.
“Groups strategy with the identical sport plan, it is to destroy what Arsenal are doing, and that makes it tougher for them in open play to attain as many objectives.”