Carragher claims Arteta risks Arsenal's title bid by going more attacking
Jamie Carragher believes Mikel Arteta faces a genuine dilemma this season: stick with the defensive blueprint that won Arsenal the Premier League, or push for a more expansive style that could leave the Gunners more vulnerable domestically while still falling short in the Champions League.
Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, a result that leaves Arteta's side with just one defeat in all competitions this season. That solitary loss came against Brighton in the Premier League, but Arsenal have responded with contrasting performances since, an attacking turnaround win over Leeds United, a grinding 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest, and a dynamic 2-1 win over Chelsea.
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Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher said the consensus is that improving on last season's title triumph requires Arsenal to play more adventurously while finding the extra quality needed to win the Champions League. He described the Bayern draw as a step in that direction, praising Arsenal's late equaliser in Munich as a work of art that undermined claims the team do not produce enough silky, attacking football.
Carragher questions Arsenal's firepower
Despite the praise, Carragher remains sceptical Arsenal can win the Champions League without more quality in attack, pointing to Paris Saint Germain as the benchmark after their four goal performances against Barcelona and Manchester City. He argued Arsenal lack the weapons of their European rivals and would be short on ammunition when facing the best sides in the knockout rounds.
The Liverpool legend also referenced Arsenal's pursuit of Vinicius Junior in the summer transfer window, suggesting the Real Madrid forward would have been an unlikely fit for Arteta's demands on defensive work rate from his attackers. Carragher wrote that tactically, Arteta remains more like Jose Mourinho than Arsene Wenger.
A tactical fork in the road
Arsenal conceded just two goals in the knockout stages on their way to last season's Champions League final, a run that underlined defensive solidity as Arteta's greatest asset, even if it has not yet delivered European silverware. Carragher's central question was whether Arteta sticks with that successful blueprint, almost certainly guaranteeing another Premier League title, or shifts the balance toward attack and risks the characteristics that have made Arsenal so dominant at home.
With Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola no longer the obstacles they once were domestically, Carragher suggested that shift in the landscape may be giving Arteta license to experiment with more risk than before.
How Arteta balances that trade off is likely to define Arsenal's season, with both the Premier League title and a first Champions League crown since 2006 within reach.
