Jamie Carragher names the Arsenal player he wishes Liverpool had & Reds star Arteta must wish he had | OneFootball

Arsenal are hoping to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title this term and could receive a much-needed boost this weekend when the leaders take on Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

The Gunners are eight points behind the Reds but have played one less game and will be desperate to keep winning to increase their chances of catching up with the Merseyside club.

Injuries have decimated the squad depth of Arsenal, especially in attack, and Jamie Carragher believes manager Mikel Arteta would be wishing he had someone of the calibre of Cody Gakpo in his squad, while also wishing Liverpool had a versatile defender like Jurrien Timber within their ranks.

“Arsenal supporters have been concerned since the start of the year that they do not have the necessary firepower,” the Sky Sports pundit told the Telegraph.

“How Arteta must wish he had someone of the calibre of Cody Gakpo in his squad, the Dutchman’s 16 goals in this campaign going under the radar.

“For Liverpool, I have been banging the drum about the need for defensive reinforcement and wish they had a full-back like Jurrien Timber. The recent injuries to Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley leave (Arne) Slot short of cover, but he still has his first-choice back four to select – a contrast to Arsenal’s injury problems up front.”

Timber has played as a right-back, centre-back and left-back so far this term, and most managers would love to have such a quality player in their defence.

He has overcome the injury setback which saw him miss almost the entirety of last season and has featured in 34 games across all competitions this season, weighing in with two assists and a goal.

Liverpool could indeed do with such a player at the back, but Slot will have to make do with his current options until the end of the season.

Like Arsenal, the Reds failed to bolster their squad during the January transfer window, and both clubs could end up wishing they did so at the end of the campaign depending on where they finish in the league table.

The North London club are in search of their first Premier League title since 2004 while Liverpool are hoping to win it for the second time since 1992, and their squad depth, or lack of it, will play a huge role in the coming final weeks of the campaign.