'A waste': Jamie Carragher says Mikel Arteta reminds him of two former Liverpool managers, and not in a good way
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Liverpool ended the weekend five points clear at the top of the table after Arsenal drew against Manchester City.
The Reds had to gut it out in the final half of football against their local rivals, Everton, but they escaped with a 2-1 win to maintain their 100% winning record in the Premier League so far this season.
Their lead at the top was extended by Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City, which is helpful for Arne Slot in the meantime, but there is still a long way to go in this title race, which is not even close to shaping up.
They will not have much rest for the next two weeks, as they will be competing in three different competitions, including the Carabao Cup game against Southampton on Tuesday night, where at least some of the starting XI will earn a deserved rest.
But after the result at the Emirates, Jamie Carragher gave his verdict on the overall performance of Mikel Arteta’s side and made a comparison to two former managers he played under.
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During the broadcast on Sky Sports, the former defender compared the Spaniard to his former coaches Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, who were both part of the club in the past 28 years.
Under Houllier, Carragher was able to fully break into the first team and show his qualities, being a part of the side that won the FA Cup, League Cup, and the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League).
His years being coached by Benitez brought him a Champions League title, one of the most famous in football history, in Istanbul against AC Milan.
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While these managers brought some forms of success to the club, Carragher explained that there was a reason those two managers were never able to translate it into league title success, and it could be bad news for Arteta.
He said: “For me, that was a waste of 45 minutes, and the reason I am saying that is because I played for managers like that at Liverpool, and we were really close and we were a very top team, but we never won the Premier League.
“We won a Champions League, got to a Champions League final, we were a great side, but I always felt at times under Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, maybe we had the handbrake on as Micah just said, when I look back on situations.”
This season, while it has been a rollercoaster of emotions for supporters, results have been delivered by the Dutch coach as he has done for the previous season.
How his team have won games has differed, but it is a great sign that they are not falling at the final hurdle and navigating themselves to victory even if it may not seem easy.
Slot’s focus, as always, will be on what he can improve on as a manager and the fine margins where his team can beat teams even when they are trailing or drawing.
The top-flight is one of those competitions where you cannot focus on the results of other teams, especially early on, because it will not help your side.
A look at the lay of the land by Christmas is a fair marker to check the performance of other teams, but in the meantime, delivery is the most important, and that is what Slot does best.