Jamie Carragher has made it clear that Champions League glory for Arsenal would overshadow any shortcomings in the Premier League, saying “nobody remembers or even cares about” the team’s domestic performance if it conquers Europe.
The Gunners are on the brink of reaching the semifinals after a commanding 3-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Emirates, putting them firmly in charge of their quarterfinal clash. Arsenal has been aware for some time that only an extraordinary slip-up from Liverpool would see it crowned as league champions.
This leaves them poised to secure second place for the third consecutive year, having been outpaced by Manchester City twice before. Despite the progress under Mikel Arteta’s management, his leadership has come under scrutiny.
With City faltering this term, the door was ajar, yet Liverpool’s consistency has outshone Arsenal’s, who have let valuable points slip away. Nonetheless, Carragher contends that a European trophy would make any domestic near-misses irrelevant, drawing parallels with his own experience at Liverpool.
He said in The Telegraph: “When you become European champions, that’s all that matters, especially if you have beaten Real Madrid along the way. Nobody remembers or even cares about the league performance when you win the biggest trophy. Mention the 2004-05 season to any Liverpool supporter and all they will talk about is beating AC Milan, Chelsea and Juventus. Our 14 defeats in the Premier League have been erased from most people’s memory.”
Arteta’s role in Arsenal’s revival cannot be understated, although his relatively modest trophy count remains a point of criticism. He did secure the FA Cup back in 2020, but since then, despite significant investment, major silverware has eluded those at the Emirates; not including Arsenal’s two recent Community Shield wins.
(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
He has successfully steered the Gunners to the Champions League, and they made it to the quarterfinals last year, only to be narrowly dispatched by Bayern Munich. Fast forward to this season, and the Gunners are firmly in command of their quarterfinal tie with Real Madrid, who find themselves needing a historical three-goal comeback.
Carragher claimed: “Arsenal need a miracle to win the Premier League. So long as they prevent Real Madrid celebrating one of their own on Wednesday, they will have the consolation of being three games from one of the club’s greatest achievements.”
Arsenal has reached the European Cup final only once before – that was in 2006 when it lost to Barcelona at the Stade de France. If the Gunners could claim victory this time around, it would surpass any of their previous feats and help dissipate the sting of recent domestic failings.
