Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender turned football pundit, expressed his fears over Arsenal’s chances in the Premier League title fight this season, identifying two major areas of weakness. Carragher’s remarks follow Arsenal’s recent 1-0 loss to Newcastle United, the club’s first loss of the season.
According to Carragher, Arsenal’s problems, can be related to concerns with their goalkeeper and striker positions. Arsenal’s offensive has appeared less fluid this season compared to last, as Carragher points out. Mikel Arteta’s team just had one shot on goal against Newcastle, raising questions about their offensive ability.
‘I feel like I’m watching a different team,’ Carragher told Sky Sports.
‘They’re more solid defensively, but they’re not as fluid and they’re creating as many chances.
‘Have Arsenal got a centre-forward and a goalkeeper who can win you the league? I don’t think they have. When you think of vital positions where teams win leagues, it’s in both boxes.
‘It wasn’t a mistake as such to replace Aaron Ramsdale, as Ramsdale wasn’t going to win you the league. But the guy he’s chosen right now to come in is absolutely all over the place.
‘I think bringing in Declan Rice has improved them but they’ve not moved the dial with the goalkeeper. They don’t seem as fluid, and it’s not just about the players they’ve brought in.
‘The ones who were playing out of their skin last season are not quite firing this season.
‘Don’t let it get lost in all the VAR stuff of the Arsenal goalkeeper again making another mistake. This is now a massive problem for Mikel Arteta.
‘This is a huge problem. He’s made the same mistake he made as he did a couple of weeks ago against Chelsea. He got away with it against Sevilla, but he’s not got away with it here.
‘The goalkeeper just keeps edging and edging forward. When the ball leaves Willock’s foot again, the goalkeeper is outside his near post. This is a recurring theme with this goalkeeper.
‘Then he finds himself out of position, he can’t then reach, and it has a knock-on effect on the foul. I think Gabriel is stooping as he thinks the ball is going to evade the goalkeeper. The talk will be about VAR, everyone will be talking about it, but Raya is a huge problem.’
In addition to Arsenal’s offensive problems, Carragher identified goalkeeper David Raya as a huge problem for the club. The Spaniard’s performances have been assessed, and Carragher believes he could be a barrier to Arsenal’s title hopes in the intensely competitive Premier League.
As the season progresses, Carragher’s conclusions will likely spark debate among fans, as Arsenal attempts to solve these difficulties while remaining in contention for the Premier League crown.
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