Arsenal have booked their place in the Champions League semi-finals for the second successive season, but the celebrations have been overshadowed by pointed criticism from Jamie Carragher, who has dramatically reversed his pre-tournament prediction that the Gunners would lift the trophy.
The North London club edged through to the last four with a gritty 0-0 draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, securing a 1-0 aggregate victory thanks to Kai Havertz’s late winner in the first leg. Mikel Arteta’s side will now face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, with the winners progressing to a final against either Bayern Munich or holders Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
Yet despite reaching this stage, former Liverpool defender and CBS Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has performed a swift U-turn. Just weeks ago, before the last-16 ties, he boldly tipped Arsenal to beat PSG in the final. Now, having watched their laboured quarter-final display, he believes the Gunners simply lack the star quality in attack to go all the way.
“I’m not sure they’ve got the quality in the attack,” Carragher told CBS Sports. “The game we just watched tonight, you think of the players on both teams, Arsenal don’t have that. It’s not a criticism, they just don’t have those players in attack, they haven’t.
“So, that’s why I think when you get to the business end of the season, certainly in the Champions League… even though I tipped Arsenal to win it, I just don’t believe it. I can’t see a team winning the Champions League who don’t have a star in the front four, and they haven’t got one.”
Carragher’s assessment was echoed by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who called for a much more fired-up performance in Sunday’s crucial Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
“I want to see that fire at the Etihad,” Henry said on CBS Sports. “That’s what I want to see, it’s easy to talk, go there, at Man City, and deliver. I believe in what I see, though, I believe in him Arteta, ‘the fire’, but when you talk like that, you have to do it then. I didn’t see that tonight.
“We are through, so happy, semi-final… go and win at Man City, I want to see that fire there. I believe Mikel, yes, but show it.”
The comments come at a delicate moment for Arsenal, who were once nine points clear at the top of the Premier League but have seen Manchester City mount yet another comeback charge. A trophyless season now looms as a real possibility after earlier exits from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, raising questions about the long-term future of manager Mikel Arteta.
Prominent journalist John Cross of The Mirror has voiced serious concerns, suggesting that failing to win silverware this term — especially after being in contention for a potential quadruple not long ago — could prove terminal for Arteta’s tenure.
“Well, that’s the fear. I do think it would be very difficult to overcome that,” Cross stated. “They were nine points clear, that’s the worry, isn’t it. To blow that position of strength… City are bearing down on them; they’ve done it two or three of the last few seasons, they’ve hunted them down, overtaken them. I do think Arsenal look a bit fearful at the moment.”
Cross acknowledged Arteta’s remarkable rebuilding job over six years, restoring belief and reconnecting the club with its fans, but warned that collapsing from such a strong position could erode support and self-belief.
“The club love him, the job he’s done in six years has been remarkable. He’s been absolutely fantastic for this club. He’s rebuilt the belief, rebuilt the connection with the fans. We were talking a month or so ago about the quadruple. I don’t know whether you can blow it all and still carry on, and still have the respect of the fans, and still also believe yourself, and be believed. That’s the bigger issue.”
TEAMtalk understands that Arsenal’s hierarchy is already planning an end-of-season review into Arteta’s position, with concerns growing over the recent slump in form.
Off the pitch, transfer speculation continues to swirl. Italian reports suggest Juventus are eyeing a move for one of Arsenal’s defenders as part of a ambitious raid on Premier League talent, while the Gunners are reportedly stepping up their interest in Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall, having reportedly moved ahead of Liverpool in the race for the left-back. Arsenal also retain an interest in Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, though sources indicate the England international is open to a big move elsewhere.
As Arsenal prepare for a pivotal week — starting with the high-stakes trip to the Etihad — the spotlight remains firmly on whether they can find the “fire” and attacking spark that pundits insist is missing if they are to turn semi-final progress into genuine silverware contention.