Jamie Carragher makes huge title race claim after Liverpool fall further behind Arsenal - The Mirror

Liverpool suffered a bruising 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday - their fifth Premier League defeat of the season - to leave the reigning champions eight points behind leaders Arsenal

Jamie Carragher has labelled Arsenal the 'best team' in the Premier League after Liverpool fell further behind this season's pacesetters. Sunday saw Carragher's beloved team suffer a 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City, who closed the gap to Arsenal to four points.

As for Liverpool, they're already eight adrift and languishing in eighth place. Arne Slot's side have lost five of their opening 11 Premier League games, giving them a mountain to climb if they want to retain the title.

City are best-placed to challenge Arsenal, who Carragher admires but admits could face problems as the season wears on. On Saturday, the Gunners conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 away to newly-promoted Sunderland.

"I still think Arsenal are the best team I've seen in this league this season, no doubt," the Liverpool legend explained on Sky Sports. "But there's an awful long to go and there's no doubt because Arsenal haven't won the league for so long, those supporters, players, manager - everyone will become twitchy in the second half of the season if it becomes tight."

Carragher added: "I think Arsenal will be nervous [in the title race] because it's Man City and they've done this to them twice before. Twice in last three years, Manchester City have come from behind and caught Arsenal.

"And also the manner of the victory today, that first-half performance from Man City… Liverpool are the champions - they absolutely took them to the cleaners. I think on the back of Arsenal dropping points against a promoted team - who are doing absolutely fantastically well in the Premier League, Sunderland - they'd have been hoping for a draw [between City and Liverpool].

"They've seen City not just win but the performance and [they're] probably getting a few flashbacks to what's happened the last couple of times when they felt they had a great chance at a title. It might be a long two weeks, thinking and worrying, for Arsenal supporters and players."

Liverpool did beat Arsenal earlier this season but as things stand, that result at Anfield counts for nothing. The Reds have a favourable run of fixtures after in the international break, starting with a home game against Nottingham Forest.

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Captain Virgil van Dijk insists: "We are not going to give up whatsoever. We are in November and we are ready for a long season and a big fight."

Slot, meanwhile, admitted after losing to City: "The last thing I should speak about is the title race. We have to focus on getting results."

Arsenal's next match is the North London derby at home to Tottenham. For City, they travel to an out-of-sorts Newcastle hoping to prolong their momentum as the festive period approaches.

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