Arsenal have a four-point lead over Manchester City by the start of 2026, but Jamie Carragher insists the Gunners will be nervous if they close in on their rivals in the spring
Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City’s closeness to winning the Premier League in March could be a “clinching factor” as Arsenal fear further delays.
Josep Guardiola’s side started the new year with a setback as they were held to a goalless draw with Sunderland, 48 hours after Arsenal beat Aston Villa. This means the Gunners have extended their lead at the top of the table to four points.
Arsenal have set the pace for much of the season and are seen by many as favorites to win. In the past three seasons, they’ve come close but not as well, finishing in second place each time. Manager Mikel Arteta now has his team ready to finally end their 22-year wait to win the league.
They have lost to City twice in recent years, heading into the final stages of the season only to be bounced back by the Manchester side. Carragher feels like Arsenal are the better side, but knows there could be tensions in the spring if City hit their stride.
He wrote in the Telegraph: “Manchester City don’t have Arsenal’s quality on the bench, but if manager Josep Guardiola can field the best starting XI, they could be on course to win the title, especially with Erling Haaland in impressive form.”
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“City remind me of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. Sometimes United weren’t always playing their best football in a given season, but they had the know-how to win the league and if they were still in the hunt in late March they would get the job done.”
“If City are still within reach of Arsenal by then, Guardiola will be confident and Arsenal, especially the fans, will be nervous. That could still be the deciding factor.”
Despite making great progress in recent years, Arsenal have faced criticism. Arteta has led a resurgence at the Emirates but has not won a trophy since winning the FA Cup almost six years ago. Those shortcomings have been used as sticks to bring him down.
This saga will continue until Arsenal finally cross the line and deliver some silverware. While they are at the top of the Premier League, they also have the Carabao Cup semi-finals ahead of them. They have an almost perfect record in the Champions League, winning six of six games and conceding just one goal.
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