Jamie Carragher fears Phil Foden’s return to form should represent a major worry to Arsenal and could prove decisive in the Premier League title race.
The England international, by his own high standards, suffered a dip in form last season as Manchester City were knocked off their perch by Liverpool.
Foden started the new campaign with a series of inefectual performances and was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for October’s matches against Wales and Latvia.
Over the course of the last month, however, the 25-year-old has looked far more like his old self and produced another eye-catching display in Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Sunderland.
With five goals in his last three games, Foden is powering City’s pursuit of leaders Arsenal and with the gap down to just two points, Carragher believes Arsenal should now be nervously looking over their shoulders.
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‘I think that’s a bit worried for Arsenal, Carragher told Monday Night Football. ‘If he continues in the form that he was when he was Player of the Year two years ago I think as an Arsenal fan I’d be really worried in terms of the title.
‘Haaland, at times we’ve mentioned City as a one-man team this season. At times, in terms of the goals, they have been. But Haaland has just been Haaland. He can’t do it on his own.
‘If Man City are going to win the league they will need goals from other areas.
‘We’ve mentioned they’ve already scored seven goals more than Arsenal. If he carries on like that Manchester City will score a lot more goals than Arsenal.
‘That was the reason why Liverpool beat Arsenal to the title last season because they scored more goals.
‘We know Arsenal are the best team defensively in this league b by a long way. But if Phil Foden comes to the party in a big way that is a huge problem for Arsenal.’
The Gunners’ dramatic late defeat at Villa Park on Saturday has put a different complexion on a title race that some had predicted they were set to dominate.
An 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to sudden halt following Emi Buendía’s 95th minute strike which prompted a clutch of Arsenal players to drop to their knees and pound the turf in frustration.
‘The reaction from the Arsenal players!’ said Carragher outlining his concern that the response was too dramatic. ‘Yes, it hurst to concede a last minute goal.
‘But it almost reminded me of Sami Kuffour in the 1999 Champions League final against Manchester United and was punching the ground.
‘Yes it’s a big blow but it almost feels like some of the Arsenal players have lost a cup final.
‘That almost feels like that reaction, not a Premier League game. Of course it was a huge blow.
‘But I think this for Arsenal and I said before the game it was always going to be difficult at Villa Park. Don’t get carried away.
‘You lost the game against a very good team who are brilliant at home as well. You lost in the last minute without your two centre backs. It’s not that big a deal.
‘But the reaction I thought was telling about how much they felt they’d lost there in terms of losing that point.’
