Jamie Carragher claims that Mikel Arteta is becoming more like Jose Mourinho than mentor Pep Guardiola, suggesting that Arsenal don’t play ‘great football’.
Arteta’s depleted side had to settle for a 2-2 draw at home to title rivals Liverpool on Sunday, despite taking the lead twice and being in front at half-time. The result leaves Arsenal five points adrift of Guardiola’s Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, having also dropped points by losing to Bournemouth last weekend.
That game saw the Gunners reduced to 10 men for the third time this season and they’ve failed to win any of those matches (two draws, one defeat). Arteta chose to prioritise defensive solidity but Liverpool legend Carragher believes that there’ve been plenty of other occasions when the Arsenal boss has been too conservative, echoing Mourinho’s tactics rather than Guardiola’s.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, probably going back to this fixture last year,” Carragher began on Sky Sports, having watched Mohamed Salah equalise for his former club, keeping them four points above Arsenal in second.
