According to a report by London Evening Standard on Tuesday October 20, 2026, Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal remain the team to beat in the Premier League title race despite concerns about their attacking performances following their narrow victory over Nottingham Forest.

The Sky Sports pundit shared his latest prediction after Mikel Arteta’s side secured a 1-0 win against Forest, maintaining their position among the leading contenders despite criticism of their attacking output.

Carragher acknowledged that Arsenal have struggled to produce consistently exciting football and questioned whether their attacking options possess the individual brilliance needed to dominate opponents throughout the campaign.

“We’ve said before that Arsenal are not the most exciting champions we’ve ever seen,” Carragher said, highlighting the team’s perceived lack of creativity and star quality in the final third.

He also pointed to Arsenal’s failure to secure several high-profile attacking targets during the summer transfer window, including reported interest in Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez, as a possible reason for their limitations.

Carragher suggested that Arteta’s emphasis on defensive organisation could also restrict Arsenal’s attacking freedom, arguing that their commitment to protecting their backline sometimes comes at the expense of their offensive potential.

Despite those reservations, the former Liverpool defender insisted Arsenal possess the strongest squad in the country, with Manchester City potentially being the only side capable of matching their overall quality.

“But they’ve got the best squad in the country and the best starting line-up, I don’t think anyone can go up against that really except maybe Man City,” he explained.

Carragher added that Arsenal’s strength lies in their squad depth, pointing out that they have two high-quality options in virtually every position, even without signing the game-changing superstar they wanted.

He also recalled similar criticisms from last season, maintaining that Arsenal’s overall quality continues to make them serious title contenders despite questions about their attacking performances.

The Nottingham Forest victory was particularly important because dropping points could have left Arsenal five points behind Manchester City, increasing pressure on Arteta’s team.

Carragher acknowledged that uncertainty surrounding Manchester City’s financial charges and the outcome of the ongoing legal process makes predicting the title race more complicated.

Nevertheless, Arsenal’s victory kept them within three points of the leaders and strengthened Carragher’s belief that they remain the side their rivals must overcome.

His assessment ultimately reflects confidence in Arsenal’s squad depth and starting eleven, despite their failure to recruit the attacking superstars that could have improved their performances in the final third.