Jamie Carragher believes that Arsenal’s hopes of winning the Champions League could be dealt a fatal blow if they don’t win the Premier League.
The Gunners have the opportunity to secure a famous double after knocking out Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League final since 2006.
Mikel Arteta’s side will now face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the final, which takes place later this month in Budapest.
Before that, though, Arsenal will turn their attention back to the league, where they are in pole position after Manchester City’s costly draw with Everton on Monday.
A potential banana skin awaits on Sunday against relegation-threatened West Ham, but Carragher believes a win at the London Stadium will all-but guarantee Arsenal the title.
Speaking at the 2026 Women’s Football Awards on Thursday, he told Metro: ‘That’s the game that can go either way, but if Arsenal get over the line against West Ham, I can’t see them messing it up from there.
‘When you think about it, it could arguably be the biggest game of the season. But for lots of other teams, it’s probably the biggest game for West Ham. They have to get something.
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‘It’s a huge game for Tottenham, because of the angle of West Ham. It’s a huge game for Man City, because of Arsenal’s situation. I just think that game at the weekend is so big, not just for the two teams involved, it’s huge for both of them. But also what it does for City and Tottenham.’
However, if they do fail to win the league from this position, Carragher fears that Arsenal will struggle to summon the emotional reserves to take the fight to PSG the following weekend in the Champions League final.
‘That game will be a real problem if they don’t win the league,’ he added. ‘I think that’ll be a problem. Yes, you want to win everything, but I think Arsenal really want to win the league.
‘They wouldn’t turn their noses up at the Champions League, but I think Liverpool were in that situation a few years ago, where they’d gone so long without winning the league that they just wanted it done.
‘For me, more often than I always say, the Champions League is a bigger trophy to win. But I think when you’ve gone so long without the league, they’ll be desperate for that.
‘But I think if they win it, which they should do, the position that they’re in right now, I think it’ll give them a huge boost.
‘They will need that going into the final. I think we all know PSG are the better team, but that doesn’t mean Arsenal can’t win a one-off game.’
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