Jamie Carragher revealed his concern over Chelsea summer signing Emiliano Martinez after the Premier League defeat to Arsenal.
Chelsea travelled to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday hoping to maintain their perfect start to the new season and sent a title message to defending champions Arsenal.
Ex-Arsenal transfer target Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea the perfect start, volleying home from the edge of the box inside the first two minutes.
But Kai Havertz equalised against his former club midway through the first half with a strike Martinez failed to save at his near post.
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Arsenal were marginally the better side throughout and Martin Odegaard’s goal just after half-time proved to be the winner as Mikel Arteta’s side joined Manchester City with nine points after three games.
Carragher believes there is a ‘massive gulf’ between Arsenal, who won the Premier League by seven points last season, and Chelsea, who finished just 10th.
The Liverpool legend also believes that while signing Martinez for just £7.5m represents a ‘great deal’, the former Aston Villa goalkeeper proved he is past his best.
‘I think the goalkeeper saves that two or three years ago,’ Carragher said on Sky Sports when analysing Havertz’s equaliser for Arsenal.
‘What Chelsea have done, it’s better for everyone that Robert Sanchez isn’t in goal because he’s not quite at the level despite being a good goalkeeper.
‘You go and get someone who has been a great goalkeeper and who in the eyes is still one. But they’re not bringing in the goalkeeper who won the World Cup.
‘It isn’t a mistake, it was a great deal for £7.5m and he’s still a realy good goalkeeper and he’s better than Sanchez. It will make everyone feel a bit more confident as well.
‘The first Arsenal goal isn’t a mistake, it’s just a goalkeeper who isn’t quite as sharp or quick as he once was to get down. There’s a difference between that and a keeper dropping a cross, it’s just a goalkeeper not reacting quick enough.
‘Martinez has been a brilliant goalkeeper and he’s still a very good goalkeeper but he’s not the goalkeeper who won the World Cup, he’s not, and that was a little insight into that.’
Discussing Chelsea’s level compared to Arsenal, Carragher added: ‘There is a massive gulf between both teams – their XIs and the squads.
‘It will take Chelsea a while to get to that level, if they can get there. But I thought Arsenal were fantastic today.
‘We don’t normally see Arsenal in these games, end-to-end, because they very rarely go behind. They’re so strong defensively they don’t need to get involved in those games.
‘They still didn’t look like they were going to give too much away, even though they were bombing forwards and putting so many bodies in the opposition box.’
Meanwhile, Arteta was full of praise for Arsenal’s ‘incredible performance’ against Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.
‘It wasn’t the right start but we certainly reacted in an amazing way,’ Arteta added. ‘I enjoyed the way we competed; we took risks, it was a joy to watch and an incredible game.
‘They have a great coach who can set them up in great condition. With the quality you have, you feel they can create something out of nothing at any moment.
‘We constrained them well. Overall, it was an incredible performance from our side.’
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