Jamie Carragher names the three players who could win Arsenal the league, no room for Gyokeres

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Just two games into the Premier League season, the title race is already being spoken about.

Liverpool beat Arsenal to the title by ten points last term, extending Mikel Arteta’s wait for major silverware in N5. 

This season, the race is already on, with only three teams maintaining perfect starts: Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham.

It’s already shaping up to be a thrilling campaign, and on matchday three, tensions will prematurely spike as Arsenal take on Liverpool at Anfield.

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Jamie Carragher names three players who could win Arsenal the league

Liverpool have shown that they have defensive frailties, but, on the other hand, Arsenal have struggled to create clear-cut chances from open play. 

The Arsenal squad are still adapting to having Viktor Gyokeres leading the line, but against Leeds United on matchday two, things finally clicked. 

Gyokeres scored twice in the second half against Leeds after a dreary first half for the Gunners, announcing his arrival to the English top flight following his uneventful debut at Old Trafford.

Though the Swede is showing signs that he can hit the ground running at Arsenal, Jamie Carragher doesn’t necessarily think the striker is key to Arteta’s title charge. 

“I don’t think signing Gyokeres wins you the league,” Carragher said on the Stick To Football podcast. 

Instead, the Liverpool icon named three players who, in his opinion, will be more decisive.

“I think if Arsenal are going to win the league, it’s still them, the two centre-backs and the goalie.

“I still think Arsenal’s thing will be, we’re going to be the best team in this league defensively by a long way.”

Carragher believes David Raya, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes could decide whether Arsenal will win the Premier League or not, which is a fair assessment to some degree. 

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Arsenal’s depth allows for key absences 

While Carragher’s opinion carries weight, as Gabriel and Saliba are regarded as the league’s best central defensive duo and Raya is already showing top form, they aren’t the be-all and end-all. 

Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have spent almost £250m this summer bolstering Arsenal’s squad depth, with improvements already being noticed. 

The defence is one area that has been strengthened, seeing the quality acquisition of Cristhian Mosquera arrive to give Arteta another option centrally.

Of course, having Gabriel and Saliba would be preferred, but there is now sufficient depth in quality that rotation would no longer be a hindrance.

The same goes for Raya between the sticks, as Kepa Arrizabalaga joined the squad to test his compatriot.

Arsenal now have what they didn’t have last season, depth, something that ultimately denied the Gunners from silverware in 2024/25.