Arsenal latest as Carragher clarifies ‘snob’ comment amid Merson claim | Football | Sport
Arsenal are setting the tone in the Premier League this season as Mikel Arteta’s side continue to play at full capacity. The Gunners claimed their fourth consecutive league victory on Sunday after narrowly beating Crystal Palace 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
It was their fourth consecutive match without conceding a goal, their impregnable defense maintaining the dominance they have shown over the past three years. The north London side have triumphed in 11 of their 13 matches in all competitions, with an impressive 10 clean sheets during that period. Currently top of their domestic league and boasting a flawless Champions League winning record, attention now shifts to the Carabao Cup for Arteta’s side, who host Brighton on Wednesday. Express football provides latest updates from Emirates.
Paul Merson’s prediction
Nine games into the Premier League season, Arsenal have established themselves as the standout team, but there are still 29 matches to go. Despite the unpredictable nature of football, Gunners legend Paul Merson is already convinced his former side are on course to achieve league glory for the first time since the Invincibles’ 2003/04 season.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said: “I don’t see anyone stopping Arsenal. They are an efficient machine but with some great footballers in that machine. They remind me of the Chelsea team of old under Jose Mourinho.
“As soon as the Chelsea team took the lead, the game was over. It was the same with my Arsenal team. I scored a goal and came back to the halfway line, and you could see in the opposition’s faces that they knew it was over.”
He highlighted their defensive strength as a crucial factor and admitted he would be shocked if they did not lift the trophy at the end of the campaign. He added: “I would be stunned if Arsenal didn’t win the league.
“People will say there are 30 games left, but Dominik Szoboszlai only strikes once a season asking the question: ‘Who is beating Arsenal this season?’ They have the best defensive record in all of Europe, so you don’t need to score multiple goals to win football matches.”
Jamie Carragher hits back
As set pieces continue to grow in importance in the modern game, Jamie Carragher was quick to lament the volume of long throws deployed following Brentford’s 3-2 triumph over Liverpool. Arsenal are big believers in the impact that dead ball situations can have, regularly topping the table when it comes to saved goals.
“I loved that dynamic of the game,” the Reds legend said on Monday Night Football. “I’m frustrated that it feels like every team this season has taken a long road at some point. You see the numbers and it’s off the scale.”
The use of set tactics in the Premier League has grown significantly in recent years, and the Gunners have been most effective when it comes to converting strategy into goals. Arteta’s side have scored 11 goals in such situations in the Premier League this season, two more than any other team, with 69% of their goals this campaign coming from dead ball situations (11/16).
Speaking on The Overlap, Gary Neville claimed that Carragher despised long throws and the direction football seemed to be heading. This prompted the Liverpool legend to turn to X and set the record straight.
He posted: “For the 100th time I didn’t say I hate set pieces or long throws!!!! What I don’t like is every team taking long throws and the time they take out of the game. I totally understand teams that struggle and lack quality to put the ball in the box, I also like to see how teams deal with it.
“But teams who have great technical players and have spent 100 million on them should put the ball into play as quickly as possible to get those players in possession. I’m not a football snob, but it sets the game back!”
Defensive Confidence
Arsenal’s defensive resilience has remained a hallmark of Arteta’s teams in recent seasons. Having scored the fewest goals in the Premier League over the past two campaigns, the north London side’s rearguard looks more formidable than ever.
Jurrien Timber has praised his side’s defensive prowess this season, with just three goals conceded in nine league matches. Speaking to Arsenal’s official website, he said: “It gives you confidence and it shows we’re doing really well, and also, if it’s for several games in a row, I think it says a lot about consistency.
“We just have to keep this going game after game, keep improving, see what we can do better, but also take that feeling with us, that confidence and go into the next game with the same mindset.”