Jamie Carragher takes hilarious swipe at Mikel Arteta before Liverpool v Arsenal

Add as preferred source on Google

Jamie Carragher has aimed a dig at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal are set to travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool on Saturday. 

The winner of this top of the table clash with be at the summit of the Premier League table on Christmas Day. As things stand, the Gunners are in pole position, one point ahead of the Reds, with both sides having played 17 games.

Arsenal will have bad memories of previous trips to Anfield. The Gunners have not beaten the Reds on Merseyside in a league match since 2012, when Mikel Arteta himself was playing in the middle of the park for the north London club. 

The Spanish coach is also extremely wary of the atmosphere that can be generated at Anfield. In the Amazon Prime documentary series All Or Nothing, which followed Arsenal throughout the 2021/22 season, it was revealed that Arteta pumped the sound of the Anfield crowd singing the famous Liverpool anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ into Arsenal’s training sessions in order to mentally prepare his players for the challenge ahead of them. 

It would be fair to say that the ploy did not work on that occasion, as the Gunners lost 4-0 on their visit to Liverpool that season. 

Jamie Carragher dig at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta fans the flames ahead of feisty fixture

There was more heartache for the Gunners in the north west last season, too. With Arsenal on the charge towards the Premier League title, they went 2-0 up against Jurgen Klopp’s side in April, via goals from Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli. However, the home side clawed it back to draw 2-2.

Following that result, Arsenal would go on to win just one of their next four Premier League games as their title push began to fall apart. Manchester City would ultimately be crowned champions at the end of the season.

However, Liverpool are also wary of Arsenal. Arteta’s side are top of the table for a reason, after all. In a dramatic speech, Klopp recently said, “we need Anfield on Saturday,” as quoted by Sky Sports. He then warned Liverpool fans that “if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else.”

Journalist and Arsenal fan James McNicholas dubbed these comments from the German coach, “a massive compliment to Arsenal.”

Liverpool legend and former defender Jamie Carragher then hit back with a sharp retort, saying, “it’s not as big a compliment as Arteta playing YNWA in a training session!”

Klopp’s comments and the subsequent online interactions have only added fuel to the fire ahead of what promises to be a feisty clash this weekend. Arteta needs to ensure that his players are ready for it. Carragher has already admitted that he considers Arsenal favourites for the title ahead of his former club, but this fixture will be a serious test of their credentials.