Jamie Carragher believes two aspects of Arsenal’s title charge this season will be ‘difficult to replicate’ next term.
The Gunners recently came agonisingly short of winning their first Premier League title since 2004, taking the battle to the final day but missing out by two points to reigning champions Manchester City.
It marks the second season in a row Mikel Arteta‘s side have lost out to City, who have now finished top of the table in six out of the last seven Premier League seasons.
Reflecting on the season, The Overlap host and Manchester United legend Gary Neville claimed Arsenal had to beat Man City at the Etihad Stadium in March to show they really could win the league, instead of drawing 0-0.
Carragher disagreed that that was the key moment, but he does think that it’ll be tough for the Gunners to make another title charge next season.
He said: “There’s things that Arsenal have done this season that I do think will be difficult to replicate next season and there’s two things that stand out for me.
“They’re by far the best team in the head-to-heads with the top teams.
“They’ve beat United twice, taken four points off City, taken four points off Liverpool, four points off Chelsea. I think they got four points off Spurs. They’ve beaten everyone in that head-to-head.
“It’s difficult to do that again. That’s just difficult to do. It’s fine margins when you play the top teams, that’s difficult to do next season.”
That’s not the only thing Carragher believes Arsenal will struggle to emulate.
“The injury record they’ve had this season, that’s not just luck, that’s maybe the way they train, the sports scientists, whatever it may be.
“But basically every time you put an Arsenal game on, there’s nine out of the first XI playing, maybe ten.
“It just feels like that’ll be difficult again next season to do that.”