Arsenal's bid to win the Premier League was hit by a 3-2 defeat to Michael Carrick's Manchester United on Sunday, with the Gunners' lead in the top flight cut to four points
15:03, 27 Jan 2026Updated 15:07, 27 Jan 2026
Jamie Carragher has given his verdict
Jamie Carragher has given his verdict(Image: Getty Images)
Jamie Carragher has called Arsenal's title challenge this season "not normal" - arguing that the Gunners are missing a "superstar" in their ranks.
Arsenal's title hopes suffered a setback over the weekend with a 3-2 home loss to Manchester United. Mikel Arteta's players currently enjoy a four-point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League table after the weekend's matches. City clinched a 2-0 win against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.
With 15 league games left this season, the Gunners are set to face Leeds away next weekend, following their midweek Champions League duties. Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher suggested that none of Arsenal's forwards would make it into the Premier League's team of the season so far, despite them leading the league.
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Arsenal's top scorers in the league this season are Viktor Gyokeres and Leandro Trossard, both having found the back of the net five times.
Trailing them, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Mikel Merino have each scored four league goals this season, leading Carragher to argue that the Gunners lack a top-tier player in their squad.
Carragher questioned: "When have you ever seen a team at the top of the table, who have been top by six or seven points, but if you were picking the best team of the Premier League so far, you wouldn't have one of their players in the front four?
Carragher believes Arsenal is lacking a superstar
Carragher believes Arsenal is lacking a superstar(Image: Getty Images)
"That is not normal; that would never happen.
"The best team in the league would always have at least one, maybe two players [forwards], in the team of the season.
"Arsenal don't have that right now, and that plays into the fact that they don't have a genuine superstar at the top end of the pitch."
Sharing similar views, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes remarked on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast: "If Arsenal win the league, this could be the worst team to win the league.
"If you're thinking of picking a team of the season and picking the front four, nobody from the Arsenal team gets in that. Look at previous champions - Liverpool's forwards, brilliant.
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"Possibly the only one is Saka, and I don't think he's been brilliant. He's not scored many goals this year or assists."
Following the defeat to United, Arteta commented: "In the second half, they had two brilliant goals, some individual quality and magic moments.
"I think we managed to shift the energy, score the second goal, and you could feel that everything changed. The game was ready to go and win it."