Arsenal news: Jamie Carragher offers ‘fight’ verdict as dressing room reaction speaks volumes
It was a mammoth win in the north London derby for Arsenal as we take a look at the latest headlines on the Premier League leaders.
The scenes following Arsenal’s 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur were telling. In another dominant display this season, Mikel Arteta’s side made easy work of their city rivals to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Led by Eberechi Eze’s superb hat-trick, the Gunners star became the first Arsenal player to score a hat-trick against their north London derby rivals since 1978. Most media at the start of the season thought this would be another campaign where the Premier League title would elude the Gunners.
But every week comes another milestone set by Arsenal, showing the nation that their season is destined to end with winning the ultimate prize. With their only defeat coming against Liverpool in August, Arteta’s side have looked imperious since then.
After Sunday’s game, Jamie Carragher gave some stern advice to an Arsenal star while the reaction from the dressing room was revealed as follows: Mirror football takes a look at the biggest stories surrounding the league leaders.
Carragher’s advice to Odegaard
The Liverpool legend has told Martin Odegaard that although he is captain of the club, he will face a real test to return to the starting line-up due to Eze’s form. The Norwegian skipper has been injured this season and has missed Arsenal’s last eight matches with a knee problem.
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In his absence, Eze has shined, first with the winner against his former club Crystal Palace last month and now with a superb hat-trick against Spurs. Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Carragher admitted that due to the difference the England star made, Odegaard’s quick return to the team is not guaranteed.
“It was always said that Arsenal needed a goalscorer,” Carragher said. “They needed to score more goals, certainly last season to compete with Liverpool. But Arsenal in general didn’t create enough, that was a problem.
“It doesn’t matter who your striker is, if you don’t create chances for him, he’s not there to finish. He (Eze) made the difference with that. Even this season, if we go back to the beginning, if we go back to Anfield, it was almost like last season’s Arsenal. Very strong defensively but doesn’t really look like he’s going to score going forward.
“I’m sure Eze played (in the next game) at Newcastle and you felt there was a difference. I just feel like his signing, which I thought was right, would just be something that would be to support Odegaard – Odegaard is out at the moment – but Odegaard has a real fight.”
Locker room reaction
This Arteta-built Arsenal team has endured several league heartbreaks already, but this certainly seems to make them stronger. The party atmosphere after Sunday’s full-time whistle was evident with tens of thousands of fans dancing as Gabriel Magalhaes, despite his injury, and Bukayo Saka joined in.
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Arsenal released footage of the players in the tunnel heading towards the dressing room with Eze entering for massive praise with injured stars such as Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres waiting to hurl compliments at their teammates.
Team spirit at the Emirates appears to be at an all-time high and given the results they have achieved and the 15 match unbeaten run they currently have, why wouldn’t it be?