Jamie Carragher believes Mikel Arteta and Arsenal will still believe they can win the Premier League title, despite Liverpool looking on course to be crowned champion.
Both teams dropped points at the weekend, leaving the title race still firmly in Liverpool’s grasp despite defeat at Fulham. Arsenal could only manage a draw at Everton 24 hours earlier, meaning Arne Slot’s side is now a maximum of 11 points away from securing the title.
With just seven games remaining, it seems as though it is still a foregone conclusion, although with the Gunners set to visit Anfield next month, the Reds’ work is far from done. And Carragher believes he’s seen signs from Arteta that he believes his side can still beat Liverpool to the crown.
The Arsenal boss was left fuming by the penalty awarded against his side at Goodison Park that ultimately saw them drop two points, which would have put more pressure on Liverpool.
Arteta named some of his bigger players – such as Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka – on the bench with a Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday in mind, seemingly indicating that he may have written off his side’s chances domestically. Carragher though feels his reaction after the game told its own story.
“We know managers get really irate on the back of defeats. Understandably so, they’re emotional,” Carragher said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
“I was really surprised at how angry Mikel Arteta was, because you’re thinking 12 points behind, you’ve got a big game midweek, and you know what it told me? I’m convinced everybody in this country thinks Liverpool have won the title – besides Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, and besides Arne Slot and Liverpool.
“Liverpool will be thinking about complacency, don’t throw it away, and I’m convinced Mikel Arteta will be telling them ‘if we win every game, we can win this league.’
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“He’ll have to try and give them some belief to keep winning games, and I think how angry he was – he probably felt Liverpool would drop points in the game against Fulham, Arsenal have got Liverpool to play as well.
“I was sort of taken aback at how angry he was actually, and it just made me think he’s probably still trying to instil that belief in the squad.”
Liverpool.com says: The title race should be something of a foregone conclusion, although it’s never over till it’s over. With that game against Arsenal still to come, Liverpool needs to do all it can to get things wrapped up beforehand, or else it could make things more than a bit uncomfortable for itself.
