Arsenal: Carragher makes title and Arteta sack predictions – ‘Man City have harder fixtures…’

Jamie Carragher has made Premier League title race and Mikel Arteta sack predictions after Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday.

Erling Haaland clinched the game for City after Kai Havertz quickly cancelled out Rayan Cherki’s stunning opener at the Etihad.

The result means City will draw level on points with Arsenal at the top of the table if they win their game in hand against Burnley on Wednesday, and Carragher believes Pep Guardiola’s side are now in the driving seat to win the title.

READ MORE: 16 Conclusions from Man City 2-1 Arsenal: Cherki, Bernardo, Haaland, O’Reilly, bottle

“I think City have got the edge,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“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.

“I thought it was a brilliant game, it was a testament to both teams, both managers, it felt like a real top-level game.”

READ MORE: Premier League winners and losers: Man City, Arteta, Leeds, Rosenior, Watkins, Howe

On the two teams’ respective run-ins, Carragher continued: “City have got the harder fixtures, there’s no doubt.

“But when you get to this stage and you’re in Arsenal’s position, just searching for a win from anywhere and the nerves are kicking in, the supporters are getting anxious, their next two games are at home in the Premier League, it almost doesn’t matter who you play.

“It’s more about you really. We’ve seen them lose to Bournemouth and most people would have said that was a game they should win.

“Newcastle is the next game and Newcastle are struggling right now, but you can’t hang your hat on Arsenal at the moment because this run has gone on now for four or five games in different competitions and they just need to stop it quickly.”

Arsenal have managed just one win from their last six matches in all competitions, a wretched run that Carragher believes will have badly knocked confidence levels within Arteta’s squad.

“I just think City will be so confident now, City, they’ll expect to win,” the ex-England international went on.

“I don’t think Arsenal will be expecting to win all their games, but there’s no doubt they’ve got the easier fixtures.

“I think those games against Atletico Madrid will take a lot out of them physically and mentally.

“That’s a big thing with Arsenal when you watch them right now, it’s not just the ability, it’s physically how do they feel? It’s not going to be easy.”

According to Carragher, Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash demonstrated the sizeable difference in quality between the respective attacks of Arsenal and City.

“If Arsenal do miss out I would put it down to that,” he explained.

“When you think of the Rayan Cherki goal yesterday, I don’t think Arsenal can score that goal. I don’t think they can.

“I think Erling Haaland scores that. Havertz has two big chances… not every striker scores all their chances but if you give Haaland two chances like that then he’s scoring one of them.

“That’s the difference, there’s definitely a lot more quality in the attack for Manchester City than there is for Arsenal right now.

“But Arsenal are still in there! If one of the teams won all their games, they would have an unbelievable chance of winning it because I do think the other team would drop something.

“Arsenal have got to think like that: win all our games and we’ll be champions. They’ve got a great chance of doing that if they accomplish that.”

But while Arsenal face the prospect of another trophyless season, Carragher is confident Arteta’s position is safe.

Asked if it was “now or never” for the Arsenal head coach, Carragher replied: “Yes and no. I don’t think it’s a case that if they didn’t win the league then Mikel Arteta would be out of a job, nothing like that.

“But 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.

“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’s been times where Arsenal have been nine points clear, they had a chance to go 12 points clear, situations like that.”