Jamie Carragher: Man Metropolis have edge in Premier League title race however are weak to counter-attack | Soccer Information

Jamie Carragher believes Manchester Metropolis have the sting within the Premier League title race regardless of their vulnerability to counter-attacks.

Pep Guardiola’s facet are unbeaten this season and sit second within the Premier League, one level behind leaders Liverpool after eight video games.

Final season’s runners-up Arsenal suffered their first lack of the season in a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth, which has left Mikel Arteta’s facet 4 factors off the highest.

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The Gunners host Liverpool on the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, stay on Sky Sports activities, however earlier than that recreation Metropolis may go high with victory at dwelling over winless Southampton on Saturday – and Carragher feels the champions stay favourites to assert a fifth straight Premier League title.

He informed Sky Sports activities Information: “I nonetheless suppose Manchester Metropolis, no doubt, have an edge on Liverpool. And doubtless simply Arsenal, possibly.

“You change your mind every week, don’t you on the back of results, but I still think City are the team to beat – and Liverpool and Arsenal, you can flip a coin.”

‘Metropolis weak to counter-attack’

Carragher, nonetheless, does really feel the reigning champions are vulnerable to counter-attacks this marketing campaign following the season-ending harm to Rodri.

Metropolis have solely saved one clear sheet within the league this season and conceded a counter-attack purpose of their latest win over Wolves, whereas giving up a number of probabilities to Fulham on the transition.

“I think they do look a little bit more vulnerable to the counter-attack,” Carragher mentioned. “That is all the time the way in which to harm Manchester Metropolis, as a result of they’ve a lot possession.

“The only way you can really score or hurt them is set-pieces and on the counter-attack.

“I feel lacking Rodri will harm them. I feel it will harm them extra within the Champions League, once you’re enjoying higher-class opposition once you get into the quarter-finals and semi-finals. That is when they could really feel it a little bit bit extra.

“I still think they can win the league without Rodri, even though he’s one of the top players in the Premier League.”

‘January can be fascinating for Liverpool’

Metropolis sit a degree behind Liverpool after the Reds beat Chelsea on Sunday 2-1 at Anfield to regain high spot following Metropolis’s victory at Wolves.

Arne Slot grew to become the primary Liverpool boss to win 10 of his first 11 video games, with the Reds’ electrical begin coming regardless of solely signing one first-team participant for this season in the summertime.

Carragher believes his former facet will make a signing in January if they’re within the working for the title.

He mentioned: “They’re very much pushing [to win the Premier League title], as they were last season. We shouldn’t forget that.

“They have not bolstered. It’s going to be actually fascinating to see if Liverpool do deliver anybody in in January. They did not deliver an excessive amount of in in the summertime.

“And if they think they’ve got a realistic chance at the title and there’s a player that they feel fits their criteria, their model, I think they’ll pay the money to bring that player in.”

Carra: Arsenal’s purple card problem ‘has to cease shortly’

Metropolis’s closest challengers for the final two seasons, Arsenal, acquired their third purple card of the season after William Saliba’s sending-off within the Bournemouth defeat.

Carragher insists the Gunners’ disciplinary points have to be resolved if they’re to carry their first Premier League title in 21 years.

Requested whether or not Arsenal’s disciplinary issues will wreck their possibilities of successful the league, he replied: “Yes, if it doesn’t stop. It has to stop quickly.

“To get three purple playing cards within the first eight video games of the season is absolutely poor. They could really feel a little bit bit exhausting finished by on sure points, however after I take a look at all of the conditions, they’re deserved purple playing cards. I do not suppose they might actually argue an excessive amount of, and it is price them.

“You consider the positions they discovered themselves in. They had been beating Brighton at dwelling when the purple card comes, they had been beating Manchester Metropolis away when the purple card comes, and it was stage at Bournemouth.

“So they’ve dropped points in all the games from the situation that they found themselves in, 11 v 11. It’s a huge problem.”

Carragher added on Monday Night time Soccer: “This has got to stop. You’re talking about a team in Manchester City that are already three points ahead [of Arsenal] – you can’t afford to let someone like that get away from you.

“You take a look at Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool they usually can nonetheless win video games in that scenario. So it’s a must to ask your self about Arsenal’s set-up in these conditions – is it proper tactically how they are going about it?”

Watch Arsenal vs Liverpool stay on Sky Sports activities Premier League from 4pm on Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm.