Mikel Arteta leaves Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher red-faced with ultimate response – The Mirror

Both Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville harboured a lot of fear over how Arsenal would fare this season, but Mikel Arteta’s men have responded in emphatic fashion
How quickly things can change in football.
In May of this year, following defeats by fierce rivals Tottenham and Newcastle, Arsenal's hopes of at long last returning to the Champions League were demolished in dramatic fashion. The Gunners were five points clear in fourth with three games to go but capitulated at the most crucial stage.
This collapse sparked an onslaught of predictions from pundits fearing the worst for Arsenal, with many casting doubt as to whether Mikel Arteta would be able to oversee the huge task of trying to get those same players to put the disastrous end to the campaign behind them in time for next term.
Two figures who were damning in their assessment of the Gunners after that miserable night at St. James' Park were Sky Sports duo Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville. The pair were at Newcastle to witness the demise of Arsenal's Champions League hopes and both discussed the long-term repercussions the 2-0 loss would have.
"Yes, it is over [hopes of Champions League qualification] and I think that's a massive problem, not just this season, I think it's a huge problem for Mikel Arteta and this Arsenal team going forward.
"[They will be in the] Europa League next season, [playing] Thursday-Sunday. They've had a big opportunity this season having no European football. That was a big advantage for them.
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"They are not in the best four sides in the country but they had an advantage on the other teams and they still haven't made it. I do really fear for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta next season, that's a real bad one tonight."
Neville echoed similar sentiments, adding: "It's a bad one. I remember United losing that Europa League final against Villarreal and thinking it was more than just a defeat in the final.
"The body language of those Arsenal players at the end tells you it is more than just a defeat. It is a big one for them. I never fully trusted them to get top four all the way through, to be honest with you.
"It shows us where they are at. They got schooled on Thursday at Tottenham, they've lacked experience tonight on and off the pitch. That will cause them a big problem tonight."
Fast forward five months and 'problem' is the furthest word from Arteta's mind, with Arsenal flying high at the top of the Premier League table with eight wins from their opening nine.
Some had initially suggested the fixture list was kind to the Gunners, but that argument no longer holds up as we approach mid-October. Arsenal have faced more big-six sides than any of the other traditional big-six, having beaten Spurs and Liverpool after losing away at Manchester United.
Sunday's win over Jurgen Klopp's side was quite the statement from Arsenal, considering they have so often been brushed aside by the Reds in recent years.
This is a Gunners side showing little to no sign of any kind of emotional hangover from the end of last season.
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