Jamie Carragher calls for Arsenal to stay calm after top four setback

Jamie Carragher has insisted that Arsenal must not panic following their 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace on Monday.

Mikel Arteta's side entered the match at Selhurst Park needing just a point to move back into the top four, but they fell well short as goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha handed Palace a deserved win.

Arsenal are now outside the Champions League places on goal difference, but have a game in hand on fourth-placed Tottenham, and Carragher still feels they have a good chance of finishing in the Champions League places. 

'It’s a bad night for Arsenal, the way they’ve lost, not just the three points,' Carragher said in his post-match analysis on Sky Sports. 

'But I think it’s very important that they don’t panic and there’s no hysteria. They’re still in a really good position, a better position than Tottenham and Manchester United, and they’ve just won five away games on the bounce.

'So, you’re talking 15 out of 18 points away from home, they’d have taken that when the six games were there away from home.'

Despite stating that there shouldn't be an over-reaction to the loss, Carragher did admit that it is concerning that Arsenal have delivered similar below-par performances at times this season.

He pinpointed the side's 2-1 defeat against Everton in December as another game where Arsenal lost their way.

'This first half reminded me of the second half at Everton. It’s probably happened four or five times this season, where the sort of naivety, the lack of experience, they just got found wanting. 

'There’s definitely the quality there, but I think Arsenal fans are going to have to accept that they are going to have bumps in the road,' Carragher added.

Looking ahead to the final