Arsenal to outdo Man Utd's treble winners? Jamie Carragher backs Mikel Arteta's side to surpass Sir Alex Ferguson's legends and make history

As United prepare to travel to the Emirates Stadium this weekend, Carragher has heaped pressure on the Premier League leaders by suggesting they are poised to rewrite the history books. Writing in his column for The Telegraph, the former Liverpool defender argued that the conversation surrounding Arteta’s side has shifted from whether they will win silverware, to simply "how many" trophies they will collect.

Carragher drew a direct comparison to Ferguson’s 1999 treble winners, noting that Arsenal’s current dominance places them in a superior position to where United stood in January of that famous season. With the Gunners currently topping both the Premier League and the Champions League, and with "one foot in the Carabao Cup final," Carragher believes a historic quadruple is a genuine possibility.

"I recently watched a documentary about United’s treble, and what stood out was that few believed winning the three major trophies was possible halfway through that campaign," Carragher wrote. "Arsenal are in a far stronger position right now – and have fewer obstacles in their way – than United in January 1999." He pointed out that on New Year’s Day 1999, United had won only nine of their 20 league games, whereas Arsenal currently look "relentless."

The build-up to Sunday's fixture has been spiced up by comments from Wayne Rooney, who claimed his 2008 Manchester United side "would batter" the current Arsenal iteration. While Carragher dismissed Rooney's comments as likely being a "wind-up," he did concede that, man-for-man, the 2008 Champions League winners possessed superior individual quality.

"Player-for-player, Rooney’s peak United team – of which current coach Michael Carrick was a central figure – are superior to the Arsenal of 2026," he said. "If asked to pick a winner, United would get my vote. They have different qualities, one packed with attacking talent while the other is built on one of the most resolute defences of the past 10 years. Wherever you stand on who would emerge victorious, it would be a close, intense battle."

However, Carragher argued that such comparisons rely on "past glories" and do not diminish what Arsenal are achieving as a collective unit. He posits that while the 2008 United team might win a one-off match, Arteta’s side possesses a defensive resoluteness that makes them incredibly difficult to stop over the course of a four-front campaign.

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Carragher’s assessment of Arsenal’s style was stark. He described the current league leaders as "more efficient than thrilling," comparing them favourably to George Graham’s pragmatic champions rather than the swashbuckling 'Invincibles' of Arsene Wenger.

To illustrate his point, Carragher revealed that he could not find a place for a single Arsenal attacker in his 'Team of the Season' so far, preferring the likes of Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, and Antoine Semenyo. He highlighted that Arsenal’s success is built on set-piece dominance - citing 19 goals from corners - and arguably the best defence of the last decade.

"Likewise, whatever Arsenal go on to win in 2026, I have sympathy with the view that they were a better watch two years ago, when a late home defeat by Aston Villa was all that stood between them and becoming champions," he wrote.

"Greatness is only applied after entering the winners’ enclosure. Legendary status beckons by being the best team of the season, after which the debates can rage about whether they matched or eclipsed the greatest of bygone eras.

"This Arsenal side are more efficient than thrilling; their 19 goals from corners mean they have more in common with George Graham’s champions than Arsène Wenger’s. The room for improvement in forward areas is obvious. It is telling that when picking a team of the season so far, no Arsenal attackers could dislodge Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Morgan Rogers or Antoine Semenyo as attacking picks.

"The perception of this Arsenal era will change forever once the title is won, especially if it is one of many trophies secured after a prolonged rebuilding process. The entirety of Arteta’s reign will be reassessed and credit given for the evolution which brought success."

Perhaps the most significant endorsement of Arsenal’s quadruple credentials came following their recent performance in the Champions League. Carragher pointed to this week's 3-1 victory over Inter at the San Siro as the moment he became convinced that Arsenal are the team to beat in Europe.

He was particularly impressed that Arteta achieved the result without starting key players like Declan Rice, Gabriel and Martin Odegaard. This depth, combined with the faltering form of traditional European giants, has cleared the path for the Gunners.

"Arteta was mocked when he suggested Arsenal were Europe’s best at the end of last season," he added. "There would not be such a response now. The usual contenders do not look so accomplished, nor do their coaches have the same luxury of being able to make so many changes without diminishing quality.

"Paris St-Germain are not in the form that won the tournament last season, Real Madrid are a collection of individuals rather than a team, and Barcelona are also a level below the Premier League leaders. Bayern Munich and Liverpool (on the basis of their European form) cannot be disregarded as potential winners. Arsenal would not fear any of them."