Jamie Carragher gives three reasons Arsenal should be confident about Liverpool clash

Arsenal may have invested heavily in their attack this summer but Jamie Carragher is of the opinion that a Premier League title triumph this year would be down to the defensive foundations that are already in place, rather than their new-look frontline.

The Gunners headed into the summer transfer window searching for a top striker after coming up short in the title race in successive seasons. Viktor Gyokeres has since arrived in a £64million deal from Sporting Lisbon, while Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze will also add an extra dimension to Arsenal's attack after joining from Chelsea and Crystal Palace respectively.

Arsenal will travel to Liverpool on Sunday hoping to steal an early march on the reigning champions, who capped Arne Slot's maiden season in style by clinching the domestic crown. Carragher is expecting both sides to battle it out for the title again. But he reckons the three pillars of Arsenal's defence - David Raya, Gabriel and William Saliba - will be their biggest weapon in the title race.

"Should Arsenal finally win the Premier League this season, their success will be built on the consistent excellence of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and David Raya, not the transformational qualities of new signing Viktor Gyokeres," Carragher wrote in The Telegraph.

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"As Mikel Arteta’s side head to Anfield for the first title head-to-head, that observation is intended as a compliment to the brilliant central defensive duo and a fine goalkeeper, rather than a criticism of the £64m striker.

"Two games into a season is no time for harsh judgments or sweeping generalisations, but the biggest takeaway of the opening fortnight is this: the key battleground appears to be between “typical Arsenal” and a different, transitional Liverpool. That is one of the biggest reasons why there should be more confidence at the Emirates that this is their time. Arsenal have a great chance to win the league by doing the same things they have done for the past three years."

Gyokeres had a phenomenal hit-rate in the Portuguese top-flight and is no stranger to English football following a productive spell in the Championship with Coventry City. He opened his Arsenal account with a brace in the 5-0 drubbing of Leeds last weekend.

But Carragher still feels the other side of Arsenal's game can be what finally gets them over the line in the title race. He added: "No matter how many Gyokeres scores in his debut campaign, the true foundations of Arsenal’s title challenge are familiar.

"Arsenal’s defence is a different level to any other current Premier League team. Raya is yet to be beaten, and despite all the premature hype about Manchester United’s improvement in the opening-day meeting at Old Trafford, at no stage did it look like Arsenal would concede."

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