Arsenal will be nervously looking over their shoulders in the Premier League title race hoping that history does not repeat itself when it comes to the significant threat posed by Manchester City, according to Jamie Carragher.
Amid defending champions Liverpool’s ongoing struggles, the dominant Gunners had this season emerged as firm favourites to win a first top-flight crown since their famous ‘Invincibles’ team under Arsene Wenger in 2003/04.
However, Arsenal’s formidable 10-match winning run across all competitions was halted on Saturday evening as Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp goal secured a dramatic point for high-flying Sunderland in a 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.
That stoppage-time effort on Wearside plus former Gunners defender Dan Ballard’s opening strike for the promoted Black Cats were the first goals conceded by Mikel Arteta’s miserly side since September, taking them up to five for the season.
That result was followed 24 hours later by a devastating showing from Manchester City, who brushed aside Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a 29th goal of the season already for club and country from prolific talisman Erling Haaland, who also saw an early penalty saved, plus further efforts from Nico Gonzalez and the inspirational Jeremy Doku.
City’s latest win in what was Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game as a manager took them back above Chelsea into second place in the Premier League table, cutting the gap to leaders Arsenal to just four points after 11 matches.
Arsenal face London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea in their first league fixtures back following the November international break, while City - who drew 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium in September - visit Newcastle before hosting Leeds.
With such a long way still to go, Carragher believes that Arsenal will suddenly be feeling the nerves after being beaten by City to the title in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, plus by Liverpool - who now sit eighth and eight points adrift of top spot - last term.
“I think Arsenal will be nervous because it’s Man City and they’ve done this to them twice before,” Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Twice in the last three years, Manchester City have come from behind and caught Arsenal.
“Also the manner of the victory [against Liverpool], that first-half performance from Manchester City was a little like, ‘oh’. They are playing Liverpool, Liverpool are the champions and they absolutely took them to the cleaners.
“I think on the back of Arsenal dropping points against a promoted team who are doing absolutely fantastically well in the Premier League, Sunderland, they will have been hoping for a draw.
“They will have seen City’s not just win, but performance and probably getting a few flashbacks to what’s happened the last couple of times when they’ve felt they had a great chance at the title.
“It might be a long two weeks, thinking and worrying about Manchester City for Arsenal supporters and players.
“That’s the problem with the international break when you don’t have a great result, there’s a long time to think about it. I still think Arsenal are the best team I’ve seen in this league this season, no doubt.
“But there’s an awful long way to go. There’s no doubt because Arsenal haven’t won the league for so long, those supporters, players and manager, everyone will become twitchy in the second half of the season if it becomes tight.”
