Jamie Carragher insists Arsenal are Champions League contenders and believes Manchester City are the only team better than Mikel
Arteta’s side in the competition this season.
Arsenal have already secured their place in the Champions
League knockout stage and ensured that they will finish top of Group B
following their 6-0 demolition of Lens on Wednesday evening.
The Gunners have not gone beyond the last-16 stage in the
Champions League since 2010 where they were knocked out of the competition by
Barcelona in the quarter-final.
But Carragher believes Arteta’s side have enough quality to
win the tournament this season and feels only City represent a tougher opponent
for other sides in the Champions League knockout phase.
‘I think they are contenders,’ Carragher told CBS Sports when
asked about Arsenal’s chances.
They haven’t got that history that you can look back on
in this competition of winning multiple-time European wins like Bayern Munich.
I wouldn’t say Bayern Munich are a better team than Arsenal
but there’s something about when you see Bayern Munich in Europe you feel like
they could do it because they’ve been there before.
Arsenal haven’t got that aura but you’ve got to get it
sometime.
‘I think the competition right now, there’s only Manchester
City who are better than Arsenal in this competition.’