Wayne Rooney has downplayed the importance of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City on the Premier League title race.
Man City secured the primary piece of silverware of the season courtesy of a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday.
The Gunners were hoping to lift their first major trophy since 2020 but were undone by Nico O’Reilly’s quickfire second-half brace.
Speaking after the ultimate, Gary Neville suggested Man City had ‘landed a psychological blow’ on Arsenal as they try and reel within the Premier League leaders.
Arsenal boast a nine-point lead at the highest of the table but are aware City have a game in hand and a house match against them to shut the gap.
Rooney doubts the Carabao Cup final may have a big impact on the title race, nevertheless, and continues to be backing Arsenal to lift the Premier League trophy for the primary time in 22 years.
Asked how big an impact Man City’s win may have on the title race, Rooney said on his BBC podcast: ‘I don’t think it’s going to.
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‘Arsenal are still in a superb position, nearly as good a position as you’ll be able to be at this stage of the season.
‘For Man City to catch them I believe they must win every game and Arsenal drop seven points. City might want to beat them at home as well.
‘So I believe it’s a tricky ask. You never know but I just think Arsenal must dust themselves down and move on from this quickly.
‘I’m sure they may return to winning games and see the title out. I just think Arsenal are too good, too efficient and too strong defensively to let it slip from here.’
Asked whether he felt Arsenal could ‘bottle’ the Premier League title, the Manchester United and England legend added: ‘I believe this team is different. From all of the things I even have seen, they give the impression of being mentally stronger.’
Jamie Carragher also still expects Arsenal to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title despite the Carabao Cup final blow.
‘Man City have let themselves down with a few results of late, and there’s enough respiratory space for Arsenal straight away [for this to] not affect them an excessive amount of mentally,’ he said on Sky Sports.
‘By way of the Premier League, they’ve got an excellent lead. Yes, in the event that they lose at Man City, it may very well be on. After all, it may very well be, but when [the gap] was quite a bit tighter it will play into it a bit of bit more.
‘Arsenal have been the perfect team within the league. They’ve only lost 4 games out of fifty [in all competitions], let’s not get too carried away, let’s not forget that.
‘And within the Champions League, they’re on the fitting side of the draw, and so they’ve got an excellent opportunity [to reach the final].
‘But what we saw today, and one among the criticisms I even have of Arsenal as a team… is that they lack something really special within the attack.
‘They lack a world-class talent who could have just turned that game forward. They definitely lack that.’
After a lengthy gap Arsenal return to Premier League motion on April 11 against Bournemouth, while Man City visit Chelsea the next day.
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