After celebrations after Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Liverpool were heavily criticized, several other pundits and former players have voiced their concerns defending the Arsenal players for their act.   

Last weekend, when Arsenal emphatically defeated Liverpool, it was a sigh of relief for the Gunners’ fans. The team celebrated their win at the Emirates, with Martin Odegaard taking on the photography duties from a borrowed camera. 

But, post-match, Jamie Carragher was quite vocal on the subject, which has sparked some controversy across social media. 

Ray Parlour, an Arsenal legend, was the first to take a dig at Carragher, the Liverpool legend, for his critical remarks. 

Amidst a packed audience at the Emirates Stadium, the clash of the top two teams in the Premier League kicked off. 

In 2024, the Arsenal v Liverpool game was the most demanding game to date, with requests on Seatsnet.com coming in as early as November last year. 

For Arsenal, who are trying their luck at a first Premier League title in years, it reassured them that they are still in the hunt for silverware. 

Parlour was quite vocal that the win was significant for the side, suggesting that there was more at stake in the win in this Premier League title race.

He acknowledged the passion he shared between the fans and the players, leading to an emotional response from the side after the full-time whistle. 

While recognising Carragher’s affiliation with Liverpool, Parlour hinted that the game’s intensity might have taken over.  He argued that behaviours of this nature stem out naturally and are never preplanned. 

Parlour emphasised that the celebration wasn’t just about the win but about relief. 

He ends up stating that Arsenal is still in the race and will have bigger challenges ahead of itself. 

In contrast to Carragher, Gary Neville viewed the celebrations as a moment of relief rather than a feeling that they’ve already won the league. 

In contrast to Carragher, Gary Neville viewed the celebrations as a moment of relief rather than a feeling that they’ve already won the league. Despite him naming the celebrations immature, Neville was not under the impression that Arsenal was harboring illusions about already having won the title. 

Three Way Title 

As we enter the business end of the Premier League, the Arsenal win against Liverpool has now opened up a three-horse race to this year’s Premier League. While Manchester City has a little catching up, this year’s title will again be one of those years that go down to the wire. 

Arsenal arrived into their Liverpool clash understanding that losing the fixture meant their Premier League aspirations would be over. 

The game was labeled not as a “must-win” clash but as a “must-not-lose” encounter. Had it not gone to plan, Arsenal would be trailing behind the league leaders. 

And Arsenal came out on top. 

The match started with Arsenal dominating gameplay, amping up the intensity, and troubling Liverpool with their tactics. 

But the defensive lapses before halftime allowed Liverpool to equalise, raising concerns among Arsenal fans and players alike.

But the second half was the game-changer. 

In the second half, Arsenal came out on top to capitalise on Liveprool’s errors. Despite the lads from Anfield dominating previously, Arsenal showed character and resilience to hold on to the lead.  

Gabriel Martinelli’s performance was the game’s star, highlighting the side’s grit and effort. 

The win against Liverpool was a relief and a clear message to their fans to keep believing. It served as a statement of intent and brought back hope in the title race. 

Arsenal’s new signing, Declan Rice, stood out as a critical player, showcasing that he is a top-tier player. 

While the title race is far from over, and Manchester City remains the favourite, Arsenal’s victory against Liverpool demonstrates they are still a world-class outfit. 

But it will all narrow down to the last few games, and Arsenal would want to. However, it will all come down to the next few games, where the onus will be on Arsenal not to lose out on points. 

Every Arsenal fan remembers the disappointing finish to last year’s league race, where everything went spiralling down after the Southampton game for Arsenal.

How Many Games Will Jesus Miss? 

In the games against Liverpool, Arsenal had no option but to rely on Kai Havertz to fill in for their striker Gabriel Jesus, who was injured again. 

Havertz’s performance, especially in the Liverpool tie, showed a side of him that most fans have not seen. He seamlessly demonstrated the ability to play a dual role at #10, along with Martin Odegaard. 

What was great to see was how he excelled at exploiting spaces between the opposition’s defences and creating opportunities out of nowhere. 

Unfortunately, Arsenal could not win their FA Cup tie, and they lost 2-0 to Liverpool. 

The absence of Jesus is only lightened by what Havertz is bringing. Early in the season, Havertz was criticised for his playing, as he was performing to expectations, but now, these concerns are no more – he is making it count on the field. 

One of the frequent questions on the social platforms of Seatsnet.com is about Gabriel Jesus’s injury status. Especially after his recent standout performance against Nottingham Forest, there is more interest in his return date. 

Knee injuries have plagued Jesus since suffering an ACL tear during the 2022 World Cup. Despite undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation, his struggles have continued, forcing him to miss several games this season. 

Arteta confirmed that Jesus was facing some fluid on the knee before the Liverpool game, but a setback in training forced him to miss the game. 

Sources from Arsenal added that the injury had occurred during the final training session.  

For now, Arteta can hope the injury will be short-term, but there are concerns in the long run, given his persisting knee condition. 

For the first time in years, Arsenal did not sign any player while Arteta desperately searched for a striker. While Arsenal have put off the hunt temporarily, many critics argue that they are short of a professional striker and might face trouble towards May, but that’s a gamble that Arteta wants to take. 

Arsenal hope to have Jesus back for their upcoming Champions League clash against Porto in February and then the back-to-back clashes in the Premier League.

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