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    Jamie Carragher says Liverpool & Arsenal ‘need’ one thing to beat Man City

    Premier League
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    Jamie Carragher has asserted that Manchester City remain the team to beat in the Premier League title race, emphasizing their potential dominance if they secure a victory against Arsenal in their upcoming league fixture.
    Following a 1-1 draw between City and Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, the title race has intensified, with Liverpool and Arsenal currently leading Pep Guardiola’s side by a single point. This tight competition marks an unprecedented scenario in the Premier League, with three teams separated by such a narrow margin at this stage of the season.
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    As the Premier League takes a three-week hiatus for FA Cup action and international fixtures, the focus will shift to the crucial clash between Arsenal and City at the end of March. Carragher believes this matchup holds significant importance and could heavily influence the final standings.
    In Carragher’s view, City maintains the upper hand in the title race, and a favorable result against Arsenal would further solidify their position at the summit of the table.

    “If you’re Arsenal and you were watching today, you’re thinking that the best perfect result is a draw,” the former defender said on Sky Sports. “Liverpool will be watching next week and thinking a draw will be a perfect result.

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    Man City are still the team to beat – Carragher

    “I think from Liverpool and Arsenal’s point of view, they’re trying to chase down City. They’re still the team to beat, I would say.

    “City’s next four or five games, if they’re going to drop points, it’s going to be then,” Carragher added, with the Blues set to face Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham and West Ham United in the last four matches of the season. “Even though Arsenal are top, I think from a Liverpool perspective I would like to see Arsenal win there or draw, certainly not a City win.

    “I think City’s last five or six games of the season, you would look and think they are going to get maximum points. If they’re not going to lose points in the next three or four games, I think they’ll be difficult to stop.

    “I think if City beat Arsenal, they’ll be really strong favourites,” he continued. “I do feel that Liverpool and Arsenal would need a three or four point gap going into the last five or six games of the season to top City.”

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    As a Sky graphic analyzed the remaining Premier League fixtures for all three contenders, Carragher emphasized the significance of not only the league matches but also the additional competitions in which they are involved. With all three teams still in European competition, and both City and Liverpool advancing in the FA Cup, Carragher highlighted the potential impact of these extra fixtures on their overall fitness levels.

    “You can look at those fixtures but it’s what’s in between them in terms of the Champions League, Liverpool are playing Thursday nights,” claimed the 46-year-old. “If Liverpool and City get to the FA Cup semi-finals – let’s say they meet in the semi-final – what it takes out of you physically, psychologically at that time of the season.

    “Then a league game has to be put in between one of those fixtures and you play three league games in a week. If I’m Arsenal, I’d be thinking I’d want Liverpool and City to keep going in the FA Cup and maybe meet each other.

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    “From a Liverpool perspective, I’m hoping City and Arsenal meet each other in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. When you play an English team in Europe, there’s something extra about it, the build up and what it takes out of you. I think there’s so much more than in terms of fixtures.”

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