Jamie Carragher has debunked a ‘myth’ regarding William Saliba after Arsenal’s collapse in the title race.
The Gunners, eight points clear at the top of the table earlier in the campaign, were battered 3-0 at home by Brighton on Sunday in a devastating blow.
The result means are closing in on the top-flight trophy and will be crowned champions if Arsenal lost to on Saturday.
If Arsenal draw with Forest, ’s side will win the league with a draw or victory over Chelsea on Sunday – and even if the Gunners pick up three points on Saturday – City will still become champions if they defeat the Blues at the Etihad.
Many have suggested that Arsenal went downhill after losing centre-back Saliba to injury in March – with the side blowing two-goal leads to Liverpool and West Ham without the Frenchman before drawing 3-3 with 20th-placed Southampton.
Saliba has missed Arsenal’s last nine top-flight games with Arsenal also losing 4-1 to City without him, but Carragher has downplayed the defender’s absence, and insisted it started to go wrong for the team after the World Cup in Qatar.
‘After the World Cup, still with William Saliba in the team… [they played] 13 games and conceded 14,’ Carragher told Sky Sports.
‘Not the end of the world, but they went from the best in the league [before the World Cup] to 10th. That is a massive drop-off.
‘The clean sheets dropped. The amount of times they conceded 2+ goals [after the World Cup with William Saliba in the team], 12th in the league.
‘Five times in 13 games, even with William Saliba, they conceded 2+ goals. That tells you what after the World Cup, they were completely different defensively.
‘Without William Saliba they drop even further… But this idea that they weren’t conceding goals or looking vulnerable with William Saliba at centre-back is a myth.’
