Jamie Carragher has doubled down on his claim that Mikel Arteta is steering Arsenal away from Pep Guardiola’s intricate philosophy and towards a Jose Mourinho-inspired approach. The former Liverpool defender argued on *Monday Night Football* that Arteta’s tactical shift aims to bring more pragmatism and physicality to Arsenal’s play, which he believes could help them finally clinch the Premier League title.
Despite being nine points behind league leaders Liverpool after 11 games, Carragher’s Sky Sports colleague Gary Neville remains confident in Arsenal’s title prospects this season. Neville believes Arteta’s new methods—though unrecognizable from the Guardiola playbook—might be the key to overcoming their recent narrow misses against Manchester City.
Carragher’s assertions are bolstered by statistics. Analysis by *The Athletic* highlights that Arsenal now opt for long goal kicks (at least 40 metres) in 70% of cases, more than any other Premier League team. Everton and Nottingham Forest follow at 63% and 57% respectively, while Guardiola’s Manchester City, true to their possession-oriented identity, do so only 25% of the time. Liverpool’s rate is even lower at 16%, and Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham have avoided it entirely this season.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Carragher playfully responded to backlash from Arsenal fans: “Arsenal fans telling me they aren’t direct like Jose!” The comment reignited debates about Arsenal’s tactical evolution and drew mixed reactions. However, Carragher insists his observation is rooted in analysis, not criticism, of Arteta’s strategy.
He elaborated that Arteta appears to be addressing past criticisms of Arsenal’s physicality and resilience. “I think there was a feeling that Arsenal were not strong enough, not powerful enough,” Carragher said. To address this, Arteta has added players like Declan Rice, whose 6ft 2in frame and box-to-box dynamism bring steel to midfield. Similarly, Kai Havertz, while not a conventional playmaker, offers physicality and aerial presence. Even Jurrien Timber, though injured, was signed as a solid defensive option rather than a flair player like Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Carragher’s overarching point is that Arsenal are prioritizing strength and pragmatism over intricate, possession-based football. “When I talk about where this team is morphing to, I don’t just pluck a statement out to create headlines,” he said. “It’s not a criticism; it’s an analysis.” He emphasized that Mourinho’s philosophy, which delivered three Premier League titles, is no insult and could be a winning formula for Arsenal.
As the debate rages on, the true test of Arteta’s “Mourinho-lite” approach will come in the months ahead. Can pragmatism triumph over artistry in a league increasingly defined by its Guardiola-inspired purists? For Carragher, the stats tell the story—and only time will reveal the ending.