Arsenal dropped points for a second successive Premier League match on Sunday afternoon as they drew 2-2 against West Ham. The Gunners are now just one point clear at the top of the table, having played a game more than title rivals Manchester City.
The north Londoners have the chance to move four points clear if they beat Southampton on Friday evening. City will have two games in hand heading into the potential title-deciding clash against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium as they prepare for FA Cup semi-final action this weekend.
Bukayo Saka missed a crucial penalty in the draw against the Hammers but has been publicly supported by team-mate Granit Xhaka and Gunners legend Ian Wright. Sky Sports pundits Roy Keane and Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink claimed it would be a 'disaster' if Arsenal do not go on to win the Premier League title this term, whilst Manchester United icon Gary Neville dismissed claims that the north Londoners would have 'bottled' the title if they finish behind City.
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Speaking to Sky Sports following the Gunners' 2-2 draw against West Ham, Keane highlighted a 'lack of composure' as the main problem behind Arsenal dropping points in their last two fixtures. The United icon said: "I think it’s huge [dropping points] when you’re coasting, a couple weeks ago West Ham conceded five at home so you’re thinking Arsenal will go on and win the game comfortably.
"Again, you could see they [Arsenal] lose possession in midfield, they get punished and the momentum changes so I think it’s a huge moment in the championship race. Put it this way, Pep [Guardiola], his staff and his players will have been cheering that result on today - that is a big moment.
"We keep saying there is a long way to go, but there’s not really. We’re running out of games and the more mistakes you make now at this stage it’s going to be more costly.
"I think it was huge points dropped for Arsenal today. Arsenal have no distractions so this is let’s go for the league title.
"We’re now saying the squad, they looked tired at the end, they were hanging in there last week against Liverpool, that’s not a great message to say they’re up for the fight and enjoying it. It’s obviously playing tricks in their heads now and they’re lacking that something - the word we always use with Man City, and Arsenal are lacking it, is composure.
"Particularly in winning positions, which can happen. They can still go on and win it, they’re in a fantastic position if they just keep their heads and have a bit of composure.
"But again, the question was if they were to finish second, it would be a huge disappointment for Arsenal."
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football show, Carragher agreed with Keane's assessment of the main problem in Mikel Arteta's side at present and highlighted the complacency shown by players against the Hammers. The Liverpool legend said: "Some of the football we saw in that first 30 minutes was outstanding, and very reminiscent of last week as well.
"West Ham couldn’t get near Arsenal, the football they were playing, they were very incisive and showing great composure. They don’t panic, make the right pass and it [Jesus’ goal] looks like a training ground goal really, Ben White, we’ve seen that so often and Jesus at the back post, he was so outstanding himself in that first half.
"What I would say is when you’re in the run-in for the title there is always that question mark against a team who’ve not won it before of have they got the nerve? When they lose a game like this, or drop points like they did this week and last week, have they bottled it?
"This idea that Arsenal have bottled it or haven’t held their nerve, I think it’s completely the opposite. When you’re talking about someone who is getting nervous in the run-in, you can’t play as well as they did in the first half an hour at Anfield or in the first half an hour of this game if they’re going into that game tense, worried about fixtures, worried about City.
"The problem that Arsenal have had in the last two weeks is they got complacent, they got cocky. That game was so easy - I was commentating on the game - I couldn’t believe there was a way West Ham could get back in the game."
When analysing key moments in the game, Carragher picked out a highlight that showed Gabriel Magalhaes panicking under pressure and kicking the ball out of play rather than rolling it back to Aaron Ramsdale. Carragher continued: "The only way they could get back into the game was Arsenal doing something stupid.
"We spoke about Xhaka last week doing something silly in a different type of way and getting Liverpool backing in the game with the crowd, after 32 minutes this is the first thing that West Ham did in the game. It wasn’t nothing special, Gabriel goes back to the goalkeeper and they deal with it, that’s all West Ham had in over half an hour.
"Again, the only way Arsenal were going to put themselves into trouble was getting complacent and getting cocky, getting a little bit arrogant - it was too easy. Thomas Partey was really poor, I must say that, and I mentioned in commentary that Declan Rice two or three times early on tried to go after him.
"You very rarely see a holding midfielder from the opposition make that run to the opposition’s holding midfielder, and you see how far away he is as he reads that pass so credit to him. What doesn’t help is Thomas Partey sees him coming, he’s now made a poor first touch - we’re talking about a really powerful man - all he has to do there is get his body in the way of Declan Rice and the ball, and Declan Rice is not knocking him off the ball - he’s not."
When discussing the build-up to West Ham's penalty, the Liverpool icon said: "I’m convinced that if that game is at nil-nil, Thomas Partey does that *gestures to shield the ball next to Ben Mee in the studio* - he uses his power, he uses his strength - the game’s become so easy - Gabriel Jesus was playing right back for four or five minutes, that’s how easy it had become - he tries a trick, you don’t try a trick like this. You shouldn’t even try that in training.
"It’s complacency because the game is so easy and then the panic kicks in. Gabriel does something stupid because of the panic, penalty, then comes two one. It’s now two one, the crowd’s up, then maybe they start to panic because they’re thinking about last week."
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