Enzo Fernandez transfer reshapes Carragher’s Premier League title prediction

Jamie Carragher believes Manchester City are now the only team capable of stopping Arsenal from winning the Premier League title for a second successive season, following the dramatic late movement in the summer transfer market.

The former Liverpool defender says Manchester City’s signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea has significantly changed the balance of the title race. He now expects Pep Guardiola’s side to move ahead of Chelsea in the pecking order and become Arsenal’s closest challengers.

Manchester City completed the deal for Argentina international Fernandez from Chelsea for £125m, making it a record transfer.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “I think the deal really does push Manchester City ahead of Chelsea. I thought Chelsea, and a lot of other people, would have a really good season, and I still believe a big part of that comes from not being involved in European competitions, having a new manager, and the attacking players they have.”

However, he added: “But they lose Enzo Fernandez, who, for me, was one of Chelsea’s big players.”

Carragher said the signing had strengthened Manchester City considerably and left them as the most credible threat to Arsenal at this stage.

“Manchester City look a lot stronger now,” he said. “I think they will be Arsenal’s biggest challenger at the moment. It is a very good squad, there is no doubt about that. There have been a lot of changes to the team.”

Rodri absence and midfield changes

Carragher also assessed the effect of losing Rodri, acknowledging that Manchester City had faced a major challenge in trying to replace him.

“I think losing Rodri was a huge thing, and I thought it would be very difficult to replace him,” he said. “But if you had told me at the end of last season that they would bring in Elliott Anderson and Enzo Fernandez, you would say that is a top-class midfield. They have paid a lot of money for it, so it has to be.”

The former Liverpool player’s assessment follows a series of unexpected developments in the final hours of the summer transfer window, which closed on Tuesday evening.

Chelsea had been expected by Carragher and many others to mount a strong challenge, with their schedule free of European competition and a new manager in charge. He also highlighted the quality of their attacking options as a reason for his original optimism about their prospects.

But Carragher believes Fernandez’s departure has weakened Chelsea’s position in the title calculations, while Manchester City’s midfield recruitment has given them greater strength in an area that was already under scrutiny following Rodri’s absence.

He concluded: “I think that gives them the best chance, compared with any other team in the Premier League, of being the main challengers, and perhaps the only team that can really take this title away from Arsenal.”