Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have disagreed on whether Arsenal have already secured Champions League football for next season despite their impressive start to the season.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League with 34 points, losing only one of their opening 13 games.. Mikel Arteta's side have surpassed the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea in their string of impressive performances to place them above reigning champions Manchester City.
This season's performances is incomparable to last term, where the Gunners missed out on a top four finish on the final day on the back of vital defeats to north London rivals Tottenham and Newcastle United. Now, Arteta looks on course to lead the club back to Europe's prestigious competition for the first time since 2017 - a feat not achieved since under Arsene Wenger.
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However, due to the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, the Premier League season will pause for over a month before returning on Boxing Day. The break will mean 24 league games will be left remaining for Arsenal, including trips to Anfield, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a double-header against Manchester City.
With such a hectic schedule on their calendar, Neville and Carragher have failed to agree whether Champions League football is already destined to return to the Emirates. ""I think they will (get top 4)," speaking on The Overlap.
Asked if they are in contention to win the title, he said: "No, you've got 25 matches left, you've got this massive disruption of the World Cup coming. I honestly still think, with what's happened in the last few years, the tough moments of the season are still to come. We know that.
"I'd be amazed if any Arsenal fan here said, 'we're going to win the league' or, 'we're definitely going to get top four'. Honestly, you lose two or three matches and all of a sudden, those teams below you are up with you and you're thinking, 'oh my god'."
"Imagine if you lose two games and the others won two games, you've always got to imagine that and think, how would Arsenal answer that pressure? The moment of the season when the acid test will arrive is February and March. That's the bit where it has to be answered and I hope they answer it. I hope Mikel Arteta answers it.
"I like them more than Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City. Both of us thought the same thing, that Mikel Arteta would struggle this season and they wouldn't get into the top four. I actually think they will get into the top four now, but it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't. My point is, I'm being really cautious. Arsenal could still definitely bottle it at some point.
"The only thing that Arsenal have proven in the last few years is that they crumble at the end of the season and until I see that they don't, I will still have that doubt. "
Neville's Sky Sports partner Carragher seemed to be more convinced with the Gunners' destiny and praised the way Arteta has his side playing. "I don't think they can win the league because of City. I would say that Arsenal have been the best team to watch this season, in terms of excitement, how fast they play.
"It reminds me of when Jurgen Klopp first went into Liverpool, it felt like 100mph but with quality. The football they played against Chelsea, they're a certainty now to get top four. Not just because of the points difference they've got but when I watch them play, they look like what they are, top of the league.
"The City game was postponed and I think that probably helped them in someways. It just shows that players, no matter who you are, can transform a team. You look at Jesus. The thing about him not scoring shows how good he is."
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