Jamie Carragher has delivered his verdict on Arsenal and their Premier League title challenge after their dramatic 2-1 loss at Aston Villa.
Arsenal suffer first defeat in 18 games as five-point lead slips
Arsenal's agonising defeat at Villa has ended the Gunners' 18-game unbeaten streak whilst threatening their title aspirations, with Man City's subsequent 3-0 dismantling of Sunderland now reducing the gap to just two points.
Emiliano Buendia's 95th minute winner highlighted familiar weaknesses that have plagued previous title challenges.
Buendia-Martinez-Aston-Villa
Mikel Arteta's makeshift defence, deprived of William Saliba and Gabriel through injury, conceded soft goals that championship-winning teams simply cannot afford.
Matty Cash's thunderous opener exploited Eberechi Eze's defensive negligence, whilst Buendia's late intervention punished Arsenal's inability to clear.
Leandro Trossard's second-half equaliser briefly sparked hope of a hard-fought victory in the Midlands, yet Arsenal ultimately succumbed to Villa's relentless pressure.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts-1 Related
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The Gunners are looking to bolster their attacking options.
While Arsenal have only lost twice this campaign, Arteta will be hoping Saturday's defeat doesn't sap his squad's confidence given the manner of their slip up.
Cristhian Mosquera's ankle injury compounds their current defensive crisis, forcing 16-year-old Marli Salmon onto the bench against Villa.
Man City ruthlessly capitalised on Arsenal's hiccup, delivering their arguable most complete performance this season against an in-form Sunderland side.
Rúben Dias opened the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard thunderbolt before Josko Gvardiol doubled the advantage through a towering header from Phil Foden's corner.
Foden Haaland
Foden completed the scoring after 65 minutes, converting Rayan Cherki's outrageous rabona cross for a serious highlight reel moment.
Pep Guardiola praised it as potentially City's finest 95-minute display this season, emphasising how it is consistency rather than individual results that determines success.
The title race has dramatically intensified, with Aston Villa themselves now genuine contenders sitting third, merely three points behind Arsenal following seven consecutive wins in all competitions.
Make no mistake, it is all to play for, and Carragher is convinced that Arsenal have a 'huge problem' in the form of Foden.
Jamie Carragher says Phil Foden is a 'huge problem' for Arsenal
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher insists that the England international, alongside Erling Haaland, poses a massive threat to Arsenal's quest to win a first Premier League title in 22 years.
Phil-Foden
"I think that’s a bit worried for Arsenal," Carragher told MNF, via The Metro.
"If he continues in the form that he was when he was Player of the Year two years ago I think as an Arsenal fan I’d be really worried in terms of the title.
"Haaland, at times we’ve mentioned City as a one-man team this season. At times, in terms of the goals, they have been. But Haaland has just been Haaland. He can’t do it on his own.
"If Man City are going to win the league they will need goals from other areas. We’ve mentioned they’ve already scored seven goals more than Arsenal. If he carries on like that Manchester City will score a lot more goals than Arsenal.
"That was the reason why Liverpool beat Arsenal to the title last season because they scored more goals.
"We know Arsenal are the best team defensively in this league by a long way. But if Phil Foden comes to the party in a big way, that is a huge problem for Arsenal."
After a difficult 2024/2025, Arsenal have every right to be concerned, as Foden is now back to his imperious best.
Foden has emerged as City's most potent attacking threat bar Haaland during their resurgent title challenge, scoring nine goals across all competitions so far this term.
The 25-year-old has also notched six Premier League goals in thirteen appearances, averaging 0.51 goals per ninety minutes whilst contributing two assists.
His recent purple patch has been particularly devastating, with five goals scored in his last three league games. His goal involvement rate of 0.69 per ninety minutes highlights his constant influence in the final third, with Guardiola praising his exceptional qualities following Saturday's performance.
Foden already surpassed his career milestone of 100 City goals during the summer's Club World Cup, cementing his status amongst the club's elite scorers.
His personal renaissance couldn't have come at a worse time for Arsenal, but luckily for Arteta, the title is still theirs to lose.