Jamie Carragher feels Arsenal in their current form cannot win the Premier League this season, despite topping the table with 13 games gone.
Arsenal have taken 30 points from a possible 39 so far, leaving them with a one-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City at the Premier League summit.
Check out our other football stories here
Despite this, many feel Arsenal are yet to reach the same levels as the early stages of last season, when a great start had the Gunners heading into the pause for the World Cup in Qatar with a five-point lead over City, before Pep Guardiola’s men romped to the title thanks to an incredible second half of the campaign.
Carragher has reservations over whether Arsenal can go on and win the title this term, saying on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: “We’re still only a third of the way through the season. [But] I think if Arsenal continue how they are, and this is the Arsenal we’re going to see this season, I don’t think that can win the league. I really don’t.
“I think so many games are going to the wire, and sometimes that game can go against you. The games that are 1-0 can easily go 1-0 against you.
Let’s keep this run going, Gunners ???? pic.twitter.com/2BL9CfECCX
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 26, 2023
“For me, when we’re talking about a different Arsenal, we can see it with the stats but everyone can see it with their eyes. It’s not the same fluidity, the same pace, energy, creating chances, you can see that.
“I don’t actually think it’s anything tactical. I just think individually, the attacking players have been average this season, whereas they were on absolute fire last season in terms of [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Bukayo] Saka, [Gabriel] Jesus.”
Freddie Ljungberg won the Premier League twice with Arsenal as a player, including the famous 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ campaign in which the Gunners went the entire 38-game season unbeaten.
Ljungberg feels his old club can compete, though he still points to City as the favourites, saying: “I think definitely they are ready to challenge for the title, but the stats are telling. I don’t think they work in their favour.
“When you look against a City, you almost have to be 10 points ahead of them because they are so strong in the spring.”