Mikel Arteta: I’d just stay at home if Arsenal didn’t have desire to win title
Arsenal Football Newsletter
Jamie Carragher believes that Mikel Arteta will not be sacked by Arsenal if the Gunners do not win the Premier League title this season.
The north London club suffered a hammer blow over the weekend, losing their huge Sunday showdown at Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
The result leaves City just three points behind Arsenal, and Pep Guardiola’s men have a game in hand on the Gunners - Wednesday’s trip to Burnley - which could see City leapfrog their rivals into top spot.
It would mean that Arsenal have surrendered a nine-point gap at the summit, and, should City go on to lift the trophy come May, it would be a third season that the Gunners have blown a lead at the top.
On Sky Sports, former Liverpool defender Carragher does not think Arteta will be sacked despite Arsenal letting their advantage slip.
“I think City have got the edge,” Carragher said of the title race.
“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.”
Arsenal will have to wait until the weekend to play again, when they take on Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium.
By that time, they could be sat second in the table.
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“Arsenal are still in there,” Carragher continued.
“Arsenal have got to think like that: win all our games and we’ll be champions.”
The ex-England international was asked on Monday Night Football whether winning the title this term was ‘do or die’ for Arteta.
“Yes and no,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s a case that if they didn’t win the league then Arteta would be out of a job, nothing like that.
“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.
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“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 have been times where Arsenal have been nine points clear, they had a chance to go 12 points clear.”