Carragher: Arsenal and Man City are 'best two teams by a mile'
Jamie Carragher has declared Arsenal and Manchester City the clear class of the Premier League this season, even as the ongoing FFP saga continues to cloud the picture around Pep Guardiola's side.
City returned from their guilty FFP verdict in style on Sunday, beating a 10 man Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield to maintain their perfect start to the 2026/27 campaign. Arsenal, meanwhile, got back to winning ways themselves with a 2-1 victory over Leeds United on Saturday, keeping pace at the top end of the table.
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Speaking on Sky Sports' Gary Neville podcast, Carragher admitted the result at Anfield will have delighted City's support, but suggested the wider mood around the club will only intensify the longer the FFP situation goes unresolved.
“Man City fans will be delighted tonight, of course they will,” Carragher said. “For those supporters who love their football club, this will be one of the great days that they all look back on because they've had a party here.”
“But in some ways I think almost the feeling around Man City will grow even more, the more they win. Everyone was desperate for them to lose today, most of the country were, and Man City fans will defend their club, I get that.”
“But the feeling around the country will keep growing until this is sorted and this needs sorting for Man City as well, they can't keep kicking the can down the road. We need a resolution as soon as possible because we're watching a game and not sure what it actually means going forward and wondering if it even makes any difference to Man City or the title race with Arsenal.”
City and Arsenal 'the two best teams by a mile'
Carragher was unequivocal when assessing the top of the table, insisting there is now a clear gap between the leading pair and the rest of the division.
“They're the two best teams by a mile, we know that, and no one else is really going to compete with them for the title,” he said. “We want every game to matter but right now it doesn't.”
Asked directly whether he would currently rank City above Arsenal, Carragher stopped short of doing so, pointing instead to the circumstances of City's recent results and the influence of Enzo Maresca.
“I think it's hard to do that this early,” he said, as quoted by Football365. “But what you would say from Man City's point of view is they've gone and won at two of their toughest venues, Anfield and Old Trafford, and won in very difficult circumstances.”
“I'm a big fan of Enzo Maresca, I always have been... I thought it was a great appointment for Man City, they've got a top manager there. Who knows how long that will last given the situation but we've always known they've got great players.”
What it means for Arsenal
For Arsenal, the message from one of the division's most respected pundits is clear: Mikel Arteta's side remain in the title picture alongside City, regardless of how the FFP case eventually plays out. With the legal situation still unresolved, Carragher's comments underline just how much uncertainty hangs over whether City's results will ultimately count for anything at all.
