'That's not right!': Jamie Carragher dismantles Mikel Arteta's bizarre speech about Arsenal having 'the league's most attacking goalkeeper' line-by-line as he escalates 'handbrake' row
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Jamie Carragher sharply criticized Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for playing with the "handbrake on" during their recent 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium. Carragher argued that Arteta wasted the first 45 minutes by deploying a defensive-minded midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino, which prevented Arsenal from capitalizing on City’s mixed start to the season and ultimately cost them a potential win.
Despite Arsenal's dominance with over 67% possession and late equaliser from substitute Gabriel Martinelli, Carragher felt that Arteta’s cautious approach allowed City to settle and threaten early on, highlighting a recurring pattern compared to his own Liverpool days under Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez when the team underachieved in big games. He stated, “Man City were there for the taking at the start of this game and he’s allowed them to come into it.”
At half-time, Arteta made attacking substitutions by bringing on Bukayo Saka and £60m summer signing Eberechi Eze, which improved Arsenal's threat level. However, Carragher maintained that Arsenal's squad is talented enough to win the Premier League and possibly the Champions League but continues to be held back by Arteta's perceived conservative tactics in critical matches.
Arteta defended his decisions post-match, expressing pride in how the team played and dominated the game despite the result. Nevertheless, Carragher’s critique reflects a broader debate over whether Arteta’s cautious management style could undermine Arsenal’s title ambitions if it persists in big fixtures.
This assessment joins similar critiques from pundits like Roy Keane and Gary Neville, who also accused Arteta of having a "handbrake on" mentality in tactical approach, especially after a match where Arsenal failed to seize control early against a strong Manchester City side.
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