December 28th 2024.
Former Liverpool player and current football pundit Jamie Carragher has shared his prediction for who will win the Premier League title this season. According to Carragher, Arsenal will not be able to lift the trophy until they address their "biggest problem" and make two crucial signings.
After their recent 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town, Arsenal has climbed up to the second spot on the table, but they are still six points behind league leaders Liverpool who also have a game in hand. With Manchester City struggling and Chelsea in the midst of a rebuild, many believe that the title race is between Arsenal and Liverpool.
Carragher is of the opinion that while Arsenal might be better equipped for a title fight this season, their long wait for a Premier League trophy will continue due to one major issue - injuries. "Arsenal's biggest problem right now is their injuries," Carragher stated in an interview with The Telegraph. He pointed out that although Arsenal has managed to avoid major disruptions in the past two years, their current squad has been stretched thin due to injuries.
However, Carragher also believes that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will find a way to improve the team's performance in the second half of the season and their experience of a title race will come in handy. "If they can stay close to the top until March, they will have the belief to push for the title," he stated. But despite his hopes, Carragher believes that Liverpool will ultimately edge out Arsenal for the top spot due to their strong attacking options.
One concern for Carragher is the possibility of key players getting injured in the crucial part of the season. He believes that if Liverpool can avoid such injuries, they will be difficult to catch. As of mid-December, Arsenal had already suffered 16 different player injuries, with captain Martin Odegaard and Ben White among the notable absentees. And since then, they have faced even more problems, with star player Bukayo Saka ruled out for two months due to a hamstring injury.
Carragher predicts that Saka's lengthy absence could prove to be very costly for Arsenal's title bid, especially due to their lack of attacking depth. He believes that Arteta needs to delve into the transfer market and bring in at least two more top attacking players. "Regardless of whether they win the title this season, Arsenal will need to revamp their squad in the future. They are short in attacking areas compared to Liverpool and Chelsea," Carragher stated.
He also pointed out the importance of having a variety of attacking options, unlike Arsenal's current overreliance on a few key players. "While Liverpool has five attacking options, all with different profiles, Arteta has been too reliant on the same players, especially Bukayo Saka. His recent injury has highlighted this issue," Carragher explained. He believes that Arsenal needs to add depth to their attacking lineup and not just sign backup players in case of injuries.
Although it is unlikely that Arsenal will make any signings in the January transfer window, they have been linked with Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, who has been in impressive form this season. The Brazilian has already scored 10 goals and provided four assists for his struggling team. It remains to be seen if Arsenal will make any moves in the transfer market to address their "biggest problem" and boost their chances of winning the Premier League title.
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