Mikel Arteta is drawing comparisions with his play style (Picture: Getty)

Jamie Carragher has questioned whether Mikel Arteta is turning into the next Jose Mourinho rather than another disciple of Pep Guardiola after Arsenal’s draw with Liverpool.

Leading 2-1 after Mikel Merino’s header, the Gunners took their foot off the gas in the second half and invited pressure from Liverpool at the Emirates.

Injuries to Gabriel and Jurrien Timber saw the hosts retreat further into their shells and that caution was punished in the 81st minute when Mohamed Salah slotted past David Raya to secure a point and maintain Arne Slot?s unbeaten away record as Liverpool boss.

Sunday’s performande marks the latest occasion of a growing trend where Arsenal have looked to protect their lead rather than continue attacking having gone ahead.
And Carragher believes that it shows Arteta is perhaps more similar to the defensively-minded Mourinho than Guardiola who is often cited as the Spaniard’s coaching inspiration having spent time as his assistant at Manchester City.

‘I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, proabbly going back to this fixture last year,’ he said on Sky Sports. ‘Because Mikel Arteta worked with Pep we all think he is a Pep Guardiola discpiple.

‘If you look at the two most successful maagers in the last 10-15 years you’ve got Pep on one end and Jose – almost equally successful – at the other end.

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