Arsenal have been the favourites to win the Premier League title but have suffered a dip in form in recent weeks
Jamie Carragher has warned Mikel Arteta and Arsenal that if they fail to win this year’s Premier League title, it will be remembered for years to come. The Gunners have led the way at the summit of the top-flight for the majority of the campaign and have been the favourites to lift the silverware come the end of the season.
Arteta’s side were on course for a remarkable quadruple, but suffered a fortnight to forget. They were beaten in the Carabao Cup Final by title rivals Manchester City, before being dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Southampton.
The defeat to the Saints was the upset of the round, with many now doubting the Gunners’ title credentials.
Arsenal responded with a 1-0 win over Sporting in the Champions League midweek, keeping their hopes of a league and European double alive.
However, Carragher feels anything less than the Premier League title would be considered a ‘choke’ from the Gunners.
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Speaking to CBS ahead of the win over Sporting, Carragher said: “I think tonight is absolutely masssive. It’s nothing to do with playing Sporting in the first leg of Champions League.
“I’m 99 per cent certain they’ll go through in the game. I almost feel tonight, they need to send a message out to everybody.
“The two competitions that they’re out of, they’re in the Champions League and the next game is the league, so the four competitions they were going for and we’re in the middle of that in a four game run.
“They’re in a position now, where I think, if Arsenal don’t win the league this season, especially the Premier League, this will be remembered for an awfully long time.
“It’s not just coming second to [Man] City three years ago or two years ago when people expected that.
“Arsenal have got the best squad, I think they’ve got the best team. If they don’t get over the line now, it will be desribed as a choke. They will have choked basically in the run in.”
Arsenal host Bournemouth at the Emirates in the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon and boast a nine point lead to second-placed Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side do have a game in hand on the Gunners, and face a tricky test away at Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.
