Jamie Carragher says two Arsenal players have stagnated under Mikel Arteta | Football

Jamie Carragher expected Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard to change into ‘the perfect players within the Premier League’ but says Arsenal still lack an ‘absolute superstar’.

Arsenal are difficult for his or her first league title in 22 years, currently leading second-placed Manchester City by 4 points with 12 games remaining.

A lot of fans and pundits have questioned Arsenal’s ‘mentality’ ahead of the business end of the season, with Mikel Arteta’s side ending second three years in a row.

Carragher sees no issue with Arsenal’s ‘mentality’ under Arteta, nonetheless, and as an alternative believes what could ‘stop’ them from winning the league is a scarcity of ‘quality’ going forward.

Viktor Gyokeres is Arsenal’s top goalscorer to date this season with eight within the Premier League. Almost a dozen players have contributed more goals than Gyokeres, with Man City’s Erling Haaland leading the way in which on 22.

Liverpool legend Carragher expected Saka and Odegaard to determine themselves as ‘superstars’ a few years ago but believes they’ve stagnated.

England star Saka has 4 league goals to date this season while Arsenal captain Odegaard only has one goal in 26 games in all competitions.

‘I made a comment about Arsenal a couple of month ago on the back of picking my Premier League team of the season to date,’ Carragher said on The Overlap.

‘People discuss their mentality – I actually think Arsenal have great mentality. But there problem may very well be a scarcity of quality in the ultimate third. 

‘Once I watch Arsenal, I don’t think they’ve got an absolute superstar within the front 4 or five players. I believed Saka and Odegaard were going to get there a couple of years ago.

‘I believed they were able to almost change into the perfect players within the Premier League. I still don’t think Arsenal have gotten one in all them. 

‘So people discuss mentality with Arsenal but what I believe could actually stop them [in the title race] is actually quality. 

‘I believe we would all agree that Arsenal are the perfect team this season but Man City have been there before even when it’s not a vintage City.’

Despite having doubts over Arsenal, ex-England defender Carragher still thinks they are going to recover from the road and change into Premier League champions for the primary time since 2004.

Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, a five-time title winner, also believes Arsenal will see off Manchester City.

‘They’ve a lot quality, Arsenal,’ Rooney added. ‘I don’t think they’ve that superstar but they’ll win games and so they’ve shown that during the last three years.

‘Arsenal haven’t got a completely world-class player, a superstar that they pin all the pieces on, but what we’ve seen is that they know find out how to win games.

‘In fact Man City can still win it. There’s still a 3rd of the season left to go so anything can occur, but I believe Arsenal will win it.

‘I believe they’re too strong and powerful. I believe they win it due to Mikel Arteta, he’s shown the pressure in previous years but he’s handling it spot on this season.

‘Man City will run them close but I just can’t see them winning every game and Arsenal dropping that many points.’

Arsenal dropped points within the title race with a 1-1 draw against Brentford of their last league game, before returning to winning ways within the FA Cup, thumping Wigan Athletic 4-0.

The Gunners face Premier League basement boys Wolves next before an enormous north London derby against Tottenham on the weekend.

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