Jamie Carragher explains what Arsenal have ‘got to change’ from Man City demolition if they are to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title

Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal were too cautious at times on Sunday despite thrashing Manchester City 5-1.

The Gunners went ahead inside the opening 104 seconds thanks to Martin Odegaard‘s third goal of the season.

But Carragher felt that they then opted to play too passively until after Erling Haaland headed home City’s equaliser 10 minutes into the second half.

Arsenal ended the game very strongly and went on to win emphatically thanks to further goals from Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and substitute Ethan Nwaneri.

But Carragher still had concerns and he raised them during Monday Night Football on Sky Sports.

He said: ‘We’ve spoken a lot about how Mikel Arteta and this Arsenal side are trying to win the league. It felt as soon as they got the lead there’s this feeling of “we’re holding on to something”.

But Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher was still critical of the Gunners in his post-match analysis

Carragher felt that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal team were too cautious after scoring the first goal

‘I think they’ve got to change. I might be proven wrong but if Arsenal continue in that vein it might come back to haunt them.’

Sunday’s win moved Arsenal nine points ahead of City but still left them six behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Arsenal’s players and fans did not hold back in celebrating Sunday’s big win, but Carragher warned them that their joy may be short-lived if they fail to end the season as champions.

Carragher used the 1996-97 title race as an example, as he recalled how Newcastle hammered Man United 5-0 in October only to eventually finish seven points behind them. 

‘It’s one of those games that they will remember for a long time, to beat Man City 5-1,’ Carragher continued. ‘But they will remember it even more if they go on to win the title.

‘What they don’t want is the rivalry Newcastle and Man United had all those years ago but Man United won the league. Newcastle say, “we beat them 5-0”.  Who cares? They didn’t go on to win the title.’