Liverpool great Jamie Carragher has downplayed suggestions Arsenal can be branded as 'failures' if they - as expected - lose the Premier League title race to Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola and his star-studded City side are in pole position to win their fifth English top-flight crown in six years after clawing back the Gunners following the World Cup break. City might yet claim a historic treble, too, after reaching the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
Despite pushing them all the way, Arsenal will almost-certainly finish as runners-up and Liverpool have often found themselves in that position over the last few seasons - aside from their memorable title win during the 2019/2020 campaign. So why does Carragher want the Gunners and Liverpool to be cut some slack?
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In his latest column for The Telegraph, Carragher said: "Until the last few years, a traditional top-six side could go into the season believing it's possible to emerge from the pack with good coaching and recruitment, string together enough victories to collect the 80 plus points and, at the very least, guarantee a title challenge.
"That has changed. Between 2007 and 2017, the champions hit the 90 point mark once."
Carragher added: "City's points totals in three of their last four title wins are 100, 98, and 93. They are on course for 94 points this time. The points tally of the runners-up in those years is 81, 97 and 92.
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"Arsenal could still earn 88 points this time. That's an incredible return for a side that has spent the past week being branded 'failures'.
"Whether it's Arsenal this season, or Liverpool in the two years they just fell short, we have to rethink the idea that a team has 'choked' or 'blown their chance' because they do not keep the pace with a deeper and greater resourced squad led by the ultimate coach."
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